869. Verse 8 And he sent out a dove from himself to see whether the waters had abated from over the face ¹ of the ground.

'A dove' means the truths and goods of faith residing with a person who is to be regenerated. 'He sent out a dove from himself to see' means a state of receiving the truths and goods of faith. 'Whether the waters had abated' means falsities that hinder. 'The face ¹ of the ground' is those things that reside with the member of the Church. The expression 'the ground' is used because it is the first stage at which man comes to be the Church.

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