19. 'The Spirit of God' is used to mean the Lord's mercy, which is said 'to hover', like a hen over eggs, over what the Lord stores away in man and which in the Word are frequently called 'remnants'. These remnants are cognitions of truth and good which never come to light or into daylight until external things have been laid waste. These cognitions are here called 'the face ¹ of the waters'.

Footnotes:

In Exodus 3:12, this signifies a confirmation of the truth that the Divine proceeded from Himself. (Arcana Coelestia 6870)

(References: Arcana Coelestia 1039, Genesis 9:12, 9:13, 9:17)