6418. The son of a fruitful one over a fountain. That this signifies fruitfulness from truth from the Word, is evident from the signification of a “son,” as being truth (see n. 489, 491, 533, 2623, 2803, 2813, 3373, 3704); and from the signification of a “fruitful one,” as being fruitfulness from truth, for in the spiritual sense fruitfulness, like birth and nativity, is that of truth and good (n. 1145, 1255, 3860, 3868, 4070, 4668, 5598); and from the signification of a “fountain,” as being the Word (n. 2702, 3424, 4861). Hence it is evident that by the “son of a fruitful one over a fountain,” is signified fruitfulness from truth from the Word. They who are of the Lord’s spiritual church, which church is here represented by Joseph, from truth from the Word learn to know what is good, and thus through truth are initiated into good; hence they have the fruitfulness which is signified by a “fruitful one.”

1255. According to their nativities. That this signifies in proportion as they could be reformed, is evident from the signification of a “nativity,” as being reformation. While a man is being born again, or regenerated, by the Lord, each and all things that he receives anew are nativities or births. So here, as the subject is the Ancient Church, the nativities signify in proportion as they could be reformed. As regards the reformations of the nations, they were not all in the same worship, nor in the same doctrine, for the reason that they were not all of the same genius, and were not all similarly educated and instructed from infancy. The principles which a man imbibes from infancy the Lord never breaks, but bends. If they are things that the man esteems holy, and are such as are not contrary to Divine and natural order, but are in themselves matters of indifference, the Lord lets them alone, and suffers the man to remain in them. So it was with many things in the second Ancient Church, concerning which of the Lord’s Divine mercy hereafter.