He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
Ver. 25. Walking in the midst of the fire.] As in some pleasant place. Tua praesentia, Domine, Laurentio ipsam craticulam dulcem fecit, saith an ancient, i.e., Thy presence, Lord, sweetened the furnace to these three worthies, the gridiron to Laurence, those exquisite tortures to Theodorus in Julian's time, a the Leonine prison to Algerius the Italian martyr (who calleth it in the date of his letter a delectable orchard), the fire wherein he was burnt to Bainham, the English martyr, who, in the midst of the flames, which had half consumed his arms and legs, uttered these words: O ye Papists, behold ye look for miracles; here now you may see a miracle; for in this fire I feel no more pain than if I were in a bed of down; but it is to me as a bed of roses. b
And the form of the fourth is like the Son of God,] i.e., Venustissima et quasi divina, very beautiful and angelic. The heathens reputed those to be heroes or demi-gods in whom they beheld and admired anything above the ordinary nature of men and their expectation. Truly this was the Son of God, said that heathen centurion concerning our suffering Saviour; Mat 27:54 that is, a divine man, such as Homer calleth αντιθεους, Yεοεικελους. This fourth person here in the fiery furnace is by many held to be Christ the Son of God, who appeared at this time in human shape.
a Socrates, Theodoret.
b Acts and Mon., 940.