3063. 'And deal mercifully' means an influx of love. This is clear from the consideration that the essence of mercy is love. Love itself is converted into mercy and becomes mercy when anyone in need of help is regarded with love or charity. Consequently mercy is the expression of love towards those who are needy and wretched. But here in the internal sense 'mercy' is used to mean love and 'dealing mercifully' an influx of love, since it was an influx from the Lord's Divine itself into His Divine Human. In fact it was by means of Divine love that is the Lord's that He made His Human Divine, for love is the very being (esse) of life, while Divine love exists in none but the Lord. See what has been stated already about the Lord's love in the following places:

The Lord's life was a love towards the whole human race, 2253, and from that love He did battle, 1690, 1789, 1812, 1813, 1820.

It surpasses all understanding, 1799, 2077.

The Lord is Divine love itself, 2077, 2500, 2572.

Jehovah is love, 1735.

Nothing apart from love has life, 1589.

Anyone who possesses mutual love possesses the Lord's life, 1799, 1802, 1803.

Love and charity are the celestial itself, 1419, 1824.

If we turn ourselves toward the Lord, we can get the full inflowing of His wisdom and love; if we turn away from Him we cast ourselves into cold and shadow -- we turn ourselves toward hell. In the Bible, "turning" generally refers to a change in spiritual state, as people turn themselves toward the Lord or away from the Lord.