John Chrysostom, on Dan 3:28

“For thou hast executed true judgments in all the things that thou hast brought upon us, and upon Jerusalem the holy city of our fathers: for according to truth and judgment, thou hast brought all these things upon us for our sins.”

“Contemplate with me how he [the king] at first proclaims the Arbiter of the contest: "Blessed be God." … This he proclaims as regards the power of God. He speaks also of the virtue of the combatants: "Because they trusted in him." … Could anything equal the virtue of this? Before this, when they said, "We will not serve your gods," he was inflamed more fiercely than the very furnace; but now, when by their deeds they had taught him this, he was so far from being indignant that he praised and admired them for not having obeyed him! So good a thing is virtue that it has even its enemies themselves to applaud and admire it! These young men had fought and conquered, but the vanquished party gave thanks that the sight of the fire had not terrified them but that the hope in their Lord had comforted them.… For this reason he both applauds those who had despised him, and passing by so many governors, kings and princes, those who had obeyed him, he stands in admiration of the three captives and slaves who derided his tyranny! For they did these things not for the sake of contention but for the love of wisdom; not of defiance but of devotion; not being puffed up with pride but on fire with zeal. For great indeed is the blessing of a hope in God.”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.