Spiritual Meaning of

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That be fruitful signifies the good of charity, and multiply the truths of faith, which were now about to be increased, is evident from the signification of these two expressions in the Word, where to be fruitful, or to produce fruit, is constantly predicated of charity, and to multiply, of faith, as was shown above, (AC 43, 55), and in further confirmation of which we may adduce the following passages from the Word:--

where to be multiplied manifestly denotes growth in knowledge and intelligence, that is, in faith, and to be made fruitful denotes the goods of charity; for it there treats of the implantation of the church, in which faith or multiplication comes first. Again:--

speaking of a church already planted, consequently to be made fruitful as to the goods of charity and to be multiplied as to the truths of faith. So in Moses:--

speaking in the internal sense of the celestial church, wherefore to be fruitful is predicated of the goods of love and charity, and to be multiplied, of the goods and truths of faith. In Zechariah:--

that to be multiplied is here predicated of the truths of faith, is evident from their being to be redeemed. In Jeremiah:--

speaking of the affections of truth, and of the truths of faith; the former being denoted by confession, and the voice of them that make merry, and the latter by being multiplied; sons also here denote truths.

from AC 984. That to replenish the earth signifies in the external man, is evident from the signification of the earth as being the external man, which has been already shown several times. In reference to the goods of charity and the truths of faith in the regenerate man, it may be observed that they are implanted in his conscience; and as they are implanted by means of faith, or by the hearing of the Word, they are at first in his memory, which belongs to the external man. When the man has been regenerated, and the internal man acts, the same takes place with respect to fructification and multiplication, the goods of charity putting themselves forth in the affections of the external man, and the truths of faith in his memory, increasing and multiplying in each case. The nature of this multiplication may be known to every regenerate person, for things that confirm constantly accrue, from the Word, from the rational man, and from knowledges (scientifica), by which he becomes more and more confirmed, this being an effect of charity, the Lord alone doing the work through charity.

from AC 983

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