Arcana Coelestia # 3125
3125. Previous verses dealt with the investigation of truth that was to be joined to good in the Rational, as regards its innocence, charity, and origin. For since by His own power the Lord made His Rational Divine as regards good as well as regards truth, He consequently investigated the truth which He joined to good. With men however truth is never joined to good by means of their own power but by means of the Lord's. This becomes evident from the considerations that all good and truth flow in from the Lord, that the whole of reformation and regeneration is from Him, and that man does not know at all how he is being regenerated. At the present day man does not even know that he is regenerated by means of truth and good, let alone that truth is introduced into and joined to good, and that this is effected so to speak by investigation, that is, with very great precision. These two verses have dealt with perception of the nature and origin of truth, and at the same time with joy on that account. What follows next therefore deals with the introduction.
Mercy
In regular language, "mercy" means being caring and compassionate toward people in poor states. That's a position we are all in relative to the Lord, all the time. Without Him we would be unable to choose what is good; without Him we would be unable to formulate a reasonable thought. Without Him, in fact, we would instantly cease to exist; we have life only because He constantly gives us life. So we are, quite literally, at His mercy. Fortunately, the Lord is caring and compassionate to a degree we cannot fathom. He is the source of all caring and all compassion, and of love itself. His mercy toward us never lessens, never abates, never ends; His whole purpose is to bring each of us, individually, to heaven. The meaning of "mercy" in the Bible is closely tied to this idea: it represents love in a general sense, and the desire for good that comes from love. It can also represent the desire for good and the ideas that describe it when those thoughts and desires are inspired by love of the Lord.
