St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1909-08-14

midst of that great concourse of peo
pie.
With fierce haste did the great war
riors of the king who had been as
signed the task descend upon these
men, and having bound them securely
proceeded to the mouth of the fur
mace from which in plain view OF all
the people could be seen the leaping
flames waiting to devour the luchess
Jews who had dared to disobey the
king.
"One last chance" came the word
from the king just before they were
cast within the furnace. will you
not bow down to the image and thus
escape an awful fate?"
"Nay!" replied Ananias, Azarias
and Misael, as with one vote, I'VE
dare bow down and worship none
save the God Of Heaven. We will
serve only him. He is able to deliver
US from the hand of the king and
from the flames of the furnace, but If
not, be it known that we will not bow
and worship the image of the king,
and if we perish, we perish"
Having said this the servants of the
king, being men of great stature and
mighty in strength, seized the three
men and raising them far above their
heads they ran with great speed to-
ward the furnace, and then with one
mighty effort tossed them into the
very midst of the flames, which with
fiendish eagerness, seemed to leap
forth to receive them.
The eyes of the people we're intent
upon watching the Jews which were
cast into the furnace, and for the mo-
ment those who had cast them there
in were forgotten. But now cry Of
horror arose from the throng as the
scorched and blackened forms Of the
men were seen lying before the fur
mace. And while panic seized the
people at the sight of the work of the
flames, the three men which had been
cast into the furnace walked in the
midst of the fire, praising God and
blessing his name, for they were not
touched by the flames.
Then AZarias stood up and prayed:
BLESSED art thou, O Lord God of
our fathers; thy name Is worthy to be
praised and glorified for evermore.
For thou art righteous in all things
that thou hast done to us; yea, true
are all thy works, thy ways are right,
and all thy judgments true. In all the
things which thou hast brought upon
us, and upon the holy city of our ia
theirs, even Jerusalem, thou hast exc
cuted true judgment; for, according
to truth and judgment didst thou
bring all these things upon us be-
cause of our sins. And thou didst de-
liver us into the hands of the lawless
enemies, and now we cannot open our
mouths. We are become shame and
reproach to thy servants, and to them
that worship thee. Yet deliver us not
up wholly, for thy names sake, Meth
err disannual thou thy covenant Put
us not to shame but deal with us aft
er thy loving kindness, and according
to the multitude of thy mercies. De.
liver us also according to thy mar
velous works, and give glory to thy
name, o Lord; and let all them that
do thy servants hurt be ashamed. And
let them be COMPOUNDED in all their
power and might, and let their
strength be broken; and let them
know that thou are Lord, the only
God, glorious over all the world"
Now 1t came to pass that while
Azarias prayed that the flames in the
furnace burned with increased fury
and leaping forth in great forking
tongues of liquid fire, so that those
standing nearest to the furnace like
the three men who had cast the Jews
into the furnace, were stricken to the
ground and consumed.
But the angel Of the Lord came
down into the oven together with Az
arias, and his fellows, and smote the
flame of the fire out of the oven, and
made the midst of the oven as it had
been moist, whistling wind, so that
the fire touched them not at all, Meth.
er hurt nor troubled them.
Then the three, as out of one mouth,
praised, glerified and blessed God in
the furnace, saying:
blessed art thou, o Lord God of
our fathers; and to be praised and ex-
allied above all for ever"