430. A “little one” or “little child” in the Word, signifies innocence, and also charity, for true innocence cannot exist without charity, nor true charity without innocence. There are three degrees of innocence, distinguished in the Word by the terms “sucklings” “infants” and “little children;” and as there is no true innocence without true love and charity, therefore also by “sucklings” “infants” and “little children” are signified the three degrees of love: namely, tender love, like that of a suckling toward its mother or nurse; love like that of an infant toward its parents; and charity, similar to that of a little child toward its instructor. Thus it is said in Isaiah:

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf, and the young lion, and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them (Isaiah 11:6).

Here a “lamb” a “kid” and a “calf” signify the three degrees of innocence and love; a “wolf” a “leopard” and a “young lion” their opposites; and a “little child” charity.

In Jeremiah:

Ye commit this great evil against your souls, to cut off from you man and wife, infant and suckling, out of the midst of Judah, to leave you no remains (Jeremiah 44:7).

“Man and wife” denote things of the understanding and of the will, or of truth and of good; and “infant and suckling” the first degrees of love. That an “infant” and a “little child” denote innocence and charity, is very evident from the Lord’s words in Luke: They brought unto Him little children that He should touch them. And Jesus said, Suffer little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, shall in no wise enter therein (Luke 18:15, 17).

The Lord Himself is called a “little one” or “child” (Isaiah 9:6), because He is innocence itself and love itself, and in the same passage He is spoken of as “Wonderful, Counselor, God, Hero, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace.”