Out of Divine love, or mercy, the Lord wills to have everyone near to Himself, so that they do not stand outside, that is, in the first heaven. His will is that they should dwell in the third heaven, and if possible not merely with Him but abiding in Him. Such is the nature of the Lord’s love. But since at that time none but external things existed with the Church, He complained of this in the words that occur here — ‘Behold, a son of my house is my heir’ — by which is meant that in His kingdom there would thus be only that which is external.