Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1908-12-17


Tins Of the kings wrath to their
doom
For the time being everything els.
was forgotten but when the black.
ened. misshapcn bodies had been re-
moved from sight the king and people
again turned their eyes toward tho
fiery furnace
With n cry ~ fear and astonishment
the king suddenly arose from his place
and, with tense face and shaking fin-
ger. he pointed towards the furnace.
Ills court officials quickly gathered
round him. and to thcm cried the
king in alarm.
Did We not cast three men bound
into the midst OF the furnaccs Lo.
gee four men loose Walking in the
midst Of the fre. and they have no
hurt. Is not the fourth the God whom
those Hebrews declared was able 10
deliver them from the fiery mrnace2'
True. IL may be" reioined his OH
cials.
Make haste" shouted the king.
"Call them forth from the midst OF tho
nery furnace
Instantly the officials hastencd 10 do
the bidding Of the king. and as the
three men. Shadrach. Meshach and
Abedncgo stepped forth from tho
midst Of the raging fames the people
gave a great shout which fairly shook
the heavens. And the eounsellors of
the king quickly surrounded the three
men and led them towards the king.
who. In his eagerncss to receive them.
threw aside his royal robes and do
scended to the plaza below.
but where IL the fourth man. thy
companion In the furnace7' cried tho
king as he reached the approaching
group. Was Il not thy Godg would
bow before him"
Thou mayest indeed bow before
him. but TO meet him famiiiarly face
10 face is not vouchsafed 70 any man.
spoke up one of the three men.
Tell me OF thy God! II he tho
same God as the God whom Daniel
worshipsg the God who revcaleth
dreamsf" urged the king. almost
breathlcssly 4 thought TO make an
image whose glory should iill all
earth. sent heralds through all the
lands over which hold dominion
commanding that there be sent those
who should worship before the Image.
! sought thus 10 magnify my name and
my glory and behold. now. I. Nehu-
chadnezzar. king OF Babylon. have
been brought low For surely what
god is there like To thy God. who can
deliver from the devouring iiamef"
Then spoke up Shadrach. saying:
Re Il known unto thse. oh. king.
that We worship the same God whom
Daniel worshlps. for the God of tho
Hebrews Is but one God. lie It is who
rrleth in the heavens. who setteth
kings upon thrones and taketh king
doms away lie II is who giveth wis
dom and careth for them who put their
trust In him"
but thou art far from thy land ex-
claimed the king The land where
thy God has his dwelling place, Com
eth he thither into the midst OF Baby
Ion. where the great god Bel rules
The great god Bel is no god at an
before Jehovah God. the God Of heaven
and earth. was ;hs bald response.
He is everywhere and his ear Is al
WAYS open TO the cry Of hts children"
but. why. then. hath such evil
fallen upon a people who have such a
great God. God who Is everywhere,
and God who is able TO deliver2'
Thou hast spoken, oh. king. of ls-
raeI's folly. for It is the wickedness Of
the people. and their going after
strange gods which hath brought this
evil upon ur. The God of Israel hath
chosen thee as the instrument OF his
wrath and hath given into thy hands
his dlsohedieE. people. But he is able
TO deliver and hath saved thy servants
from the fiery furnace"
blessed be thy Cod exclaimed the
king. rervidly. that hath sent his
engel and delivered his servants that
trusted in him. Now, therefore. | de-
cree thar every people. nation and Ian
guage which speaketh anything amiss
against the God of Shafrach. Meshach
and Abednego shall be cut in pieces.
and their houses shall be made n dung
hill: for there is no other God that can
deliver after this sort.
And suiting the action TO the word.
he dispatched heralds at once through
all that vast throng TO proclaim tho
decree And the people took up the
cry, and there. before the gold image.
as though by way of rehuke. they
/ shouted
Great Is the God Of shadraeh. Me-
shach and Ahednego"