form to the earth, do celestial, spiritual, and natural truths perform to the church. For correspondence is according to use.
In that season of the year when the flower is about to change into fruit—when the falling of the rain would be too rough, when it would endanger the operation by sweeping away the flower too soon—we have the gentle dew. When we are in a state of innocence, we shall be watered with heavenly dew, invigorated by truth celestial, producing in us the purest love, the love of God and goodness above all things. This is the truth we shall receive from God to nourish, refresh, and invigorate us when we are just on the turning point of becoming regenerated, of arriving at the state of the innocency of wisdom.
When the earth is dry and parched, and the grass and herbs wither in consequence of drought, what is so useful as the rains of heaven to refresh and invigorate them, to renew their verdure, to cause them to bud, and blossom, and bring forth? And when the soul is warmed with affection; when it longs to perform good works, to exercise itself in deeds of charity; what can prevent the aspirations of the heart from being scorched by opposite desires, and thus withering away in inactivity, but spiritual truth, which will feed and strengthen them to further progression in the regenerate life? So important is knowledge, is intellectual and spiritual truth, as that by which the affections of the will can make themselves manifest, instead of being parched, and withering in vain wishes, that our Lord says, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge."
And now let us consider the use of snow. If we
