November Nineteenth.
THE CORRESPONDENCE OF THE DOVE.
"Be ye therefore wise [prudent] as serpents, and harmless as doves."—Matt. x. 16.
THE character of those represented by the dove is most exalted. And first, its highest application is to the Lord in His Divine Operation; and this is, indeed, most appropriate. The operation of the Lord upon the soul of man, is that of the purest truth derived from the purest good. The recipient may not at once be led into all truth, yet "the dove has alighted upon him;" pure truth from good has entered his mind, and, if cherished, will eventually produce its effect.
As "Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water, and lo! the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him; and lo! a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased"—so these words may have their fulfilment in all cases of spiritual baptism, or purification from evil by the truths of God's Word. The first effect of such baptism is an elevation of the mind above those external principles of truth and doctrine by which purification was effected. The second effect is an opening of the internal man or mind; and the third effect is the manifestation of Truth Divine from an interior ground; while the fourth effect is the manifestation, the good of love to the Lord; and thus he becomes a son in whom the Lord is well pleased.
