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“That which maketh the light come forth like day, the god of the Hast, 
my burning power (I bear). 
* * * % 
“The creator (or, establisher) of heaven and earth, the fire-god, who has 
not his rival (I bear).” 
The analogy between the fire-disk with fifty faces and the 
flaming sword, that turned every way to guard the entrance 
to Paradise, has been suggested; but whether that tradition 
really exists here it would be difficult to say. It is, however, 
perhaps worthy of note that the very fact of these words being 
_ put into the mouth of the great god himself may be an indica- 
tion of the tradition, or knowledge, that God had spoken. 
Nay, some of the words may be an actual transcript of words 
divine. “Tam Lord.” What could be more sublime? We 
inevitably think of what we believe to be the certain words of 
God, ‘‘I am the Lord thy God”; and of David’s hymn of war- 
triumph, “ Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth 
my hands to war, and my fingers to fight. ‘Bow thy heavens, 
O Lord, and come down; touch the mountains, and they shall 
smoke ; cast forth thy lightnings, and scatter them; shoot out 
thine arrows, and destroy them.” 
In Assyrian hymns, too, though there are already gods 
many and lords many, there is still the echo of the funda- 
mental thought of the supremacy of one; of that one in a 
moral aspect ; and of creation. Thus :— 
“O my Lord! my sins are many, my trespasses are great ; 
And the wrath of the gods has plagued me with disease ; 
And with sickness and sorrow. 
I fainted ; but no one stretched forth his hand ! 
I groaned, but no one drew nigh ! 
I cried aloud ; but no one heard ! 
O Lord ! do not abandon Thy servant ! 
In the waters of the great storm, seize his hand ! 
The sins which he has committed, turn Thou to righteousness! ” * 
With the exception of one word, which, after all, requires, 
perhaps, rather explanation than change, this prayer might 
have been offered up yesterday by some saint of God in the 
Christian Church. 
This God is also the Creator :— 
“The God my Creator, may he stand by my side ! 
Keep Thou the door of my lips! Guard thou my hands, O Lord 
of light! 
* Transactions Soc. Bib, Arch., vol. ii. p. 60. 
