7690. And all the fruit of the tree which the hail had left. That this signifies all the knowing of good, is evident from the signification of "fruit," as being the works of faith or of charity, thus goods, whence "to be fruitful" is predicated of good (see n. 43, 55, 913, 983, 2846, 2847); and from the signification of "tree," as being perceptions, also knowledges (n. 103, 2163, 2722, 2972). The reason why "fruits" denote the works of charity, thus goods, is that the first of a tree is the fruit in which is the seed, and its last is the fruit in which is the seed, and its intermediates are the branches or leaves. So it is with the good of love and the truth of faith; the good of love is first when man is being regenerated or is being planted, and is also the last; the intermediates are the truths of faith, which are from the good of love as their seed, and continually look to the good of love as their last, just as the intermediates of a tree look to their fruit in which is the seed. (That "fruits" signify goods is plain from many passages in the Word, as in Matt. 3:8, 10, 7:16-20; 12:33; 21:43; Luke 3:8, 9; 6:43-49; 13:6-10; John 15:2-8, 16; Isa. 37:31; Jer. 17:8; 32:19; Rev. 22:2.)