1055. 'To remember the eternal covenant' means so that the Lord can be present with him within charity. This is clear from what has been stated and shown above about the meaning of a covenant, namely, that there is no other eternal covenant except love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour. This covenant is eternal because it lasts from eternity into eternity. The whole of heaven is founded on love, as indeed is the whole natural order, for in the natural order nothing whatever exists, possessing any union or conjunction, which does not trace its origin back to love, whether it be animate or inanimate. Indeed everything natural arises from what is spiritual, and what is spiritual does so from what is celestial, as stated above. Consequently love, or the semblance of it, is implanted in every single thing. Man is the only being with whom love does not reside but the contrary, for man has destroyed within himself the order of nature. But when he is able to be regenerated, that is, to be restored again to order and receive mutual love, then the covenant or conjunction by means of charity exists, which is the subject here.

1049. 'And I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you' means the Lord's mercy specifically towards those who have been regenerated, and those who are able to be. This too follows from what has been said above, for with the Lord 'remembering' is the same as showing mercy. The act of remembering cannot be attributed to the Lord since He knows from eternity every single thing. But having mercy can be attributed since He knows man's nature, namely that his proprium, as stated, is hell-like and constitutes his particular hell. For through the will side of his proprium he communicates with hell; and from hell and of itself that proprium is such that man has no greater or stronger desire than to plunge headlong into hell. Nor is he satisfied with that but desires [to take] everyone in the whole world [with him]. Because man of himself is by nature such a devil, and the Lord knows it, 'remembering the covenant' consequently means nothing else than having mercy, regenerating through Divine means, and by a mighty power drawing man towards heaven, insofar as he is such as to make this possible.