598. 'He found grace in Jehovah's eyes' means that the Lord foresaw that the human race could in that way be saved. The mercy of the Lord entails and looks to the salvation of the whole human race; and so does His grace. Consequently, the salvation of the human race is meant. 'Noah' means not only a new Church but also the faith of that Church, which was a faith that inhered in charity. The Lord accordingly foresaw that it would be possible for the human race to be saved by means of faith that inhered in charity. Such faith will be dealt with later on.
[2] In the Word however a distinction is made between mercy and grace, a distinction which depends in fact on differences in those who are their recipients. Mercy applies to those who are celestial, but grace to those who are spiritual, for celestial people acknowledge nothing other than mercy, while spiritual acknowledge hardly anything other than grace. Celestial people do not know what grace is, while the spiritual scarcely know what mercy is, for they make mercy and grace to be one and the same. The reason for the difference springs from each one's humility. People in whom there is humility of heart plead for the Lord's mercy, but those in whom there is humility of mind (cogitatio) seek His grace. Or if the latter do plead for mercy they do so in a state of temptation or with the lips only and not with the heart. Since the new Church called Noah was not celestial but spiritual, it is not said to have found mercy but to have found grace in Jehovah's eyes.
[3] The distinction made in the Word between mercy and grace is clear from very many places where Jehovah is said to be merciful and gracious, as in Ps. 103:8; 111:4; 112:4; Joel 2:13. The same distinction is made elsewhere, as in Jeremiah,
Thus said Jehovah, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness, when He went to give rest to Israel. From afar Jehovah appeared to me. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with mercy. Jer. 31:2, 3.
Here 'grace' has reference to what is spiritual and 'mercy' to what is celestial. In Isaiah,
Therefore Jehovah will wait to grant you grace, and therefore He will exalt Himself to be merciful to you. Isa. 30:18.
Here similarly 'grace' has regard to what is spiritual and 'mercy' to what is celestial. And further on [in Genesis] where Lot is addressing the angels,
Behold now, Your servant has found grace in Your eyes, and You have magnified Your mercy which You have shown to me in causing my soul to live. Gen. 19:19.
Here also it is clear that since he is spoken of as 'having found grace in Your eyes' grace has regard to spiritual things which are matters of faith or of the understanding. And since the expressions 'to have magnified mercy' and 'to have caused my soul to live' are used, it is equally clear that mercy has regard to celestial things, which are matters of love or of the will. GENESIS 6:9-22 9 These are the generations (nativitates) of Noah. Noah was a righteous and blameless man (vir) among members of his own generation (generationes). And Noah walked with God. 10 And Noah beget three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 11 And the earth* was corrupt before God, and the earth* was filled with violence. 12 And God saw the earth,* and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth.* 13 And God said to Noah, The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth' is filled with violence before their faces. And behold, I am destroying them together with the earth.* 14 Make yourself an ark of planks of gopher; you shall make the ark with rooms and cover it** inside and out with bitumen. 15 And thus shall you make it: three hundred cubits the length of the ark, fifty cubits its breadth, and thirty cubits its height. 16 You shall make a window for the ark, and you shall finish it to a cubit above; and you shall set the door of the ark in the side of it; lowest, second, and third storeys you shall make it. 17 And I, behold, am bringing a flood of waters over the earth, to destroy all flesh in which there is the spirit of life*** from under the heavens; everything that is on earth will breathe its last. 18 And I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter into the ark, you, and your sons, and your wife, and your sons' wives with you. 19 And of every living creature of all flesh, pairs of all, you shall cause to enter the ark, to keep them alive with you; male and female they shall be. 20 Of birds according to their kinds, and of beasts according to their kinds, and of every creeping thing of the ground according to its kind. Pairs of all shall come in to you to keep them alive. 21 And take for yourself of all food that is eaten, and gather it to yourself, and it will be food for you and them. 22 And Noah did according to all that God commanded him; he did so. * or the land ** lit. bitumen it *** lit. of lives