3074. What these three verses contain in the internal sense may be seen to some small extent from the explanation given. Yet because their contents are diffuse, the line of thought which runs through them cannot be seen unless they are viewed collectively as one entire idea, and unless at the same time one moves one's attention away from the sense of the letter. As long as one's attention rests there one's entire idea is not only muddled but also subjected to doubt. And to the extent it is subjected to doubt the mind is enveloped in obscurity. Described here in summary form is the process of how truth comes to be seen by means of facts - of how it is raised up from those facts, out of the natural man into the rational man and becomes rational truth, which in the Lord's case was Divine. In His case it was effected by an influx of Divine Love into the Human, from which came the affection for truth having innocence within it. That influx threw light on the facts present in the natural man, and the truths there, which were to be raised up into the Rational and here joined to the Good of Divine love, became visible. These same considerations are described in greater detail in what follows. But anyone who does not know that every single thing, even in the natural man, is ordered by means of the influx of love, and from that, of affection that has innocence within it, can have none but a very obscure concept, if any at all, of the things stated above and now here.

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.