AC 8307 - why abstaining from evils is essential to receiving His mercy

AC 8307
With regard to mercy from the Lord the case is this:
The mercy of the Lord is perpetual with every person,
for the Lord wills to save all men, whoever they are;
but this mercy cannot flow in
until evils have been removed,
for evils and the derivative falsities stand opposed,
and prevent it.
But as soon as evils are removed,
mercy flows in,
that is, good from mercy from the Lord,
which good is charity and faith.
From this it can be seen
that the mercy of the Lord is universal,
that is, toward all,
and that it is also special
toward those who abstain from evils.
Man can abstain from evils from himself;
but he cannot receive good from himself.
That man can abstain from evils from himself
is because the Lord continually
inflows into the will of a person with this endeavor,
and thereby puts in his freedom
to desist from evils, as also to apply himself to good.
The Lord also gives him the faculty of understanding truth,
but that he does not understand
is because he does not wish to understand,
and this on account of the evil that is of the life;
for falsity defends evil,
and truth condemns it.
Consequently it is
that a a person cannot
be presented with spiritual good by the Lord,
thus cannot be led through mercy,
unless he desists from evils.