2230. In like manner very many things in the Word of the Lord, and more than anyone can credit, are spoken to the fallacy of man's senses, because they supposed such things can happen [ita putarunt]. Therefore these things are so spoken, because their persuasions and cupidities were not to be broken, but bent; for to speak otherwise than man receives [apprehends], is to sow seed in water; he immediately rejects [it], hence it is (to him as) nothing; for instance, [such expressions] as the Lord is stirred with fury [wrath] against any one, that He would slay, that He does evil, that He rejoices to destroy them and to bring them to nought, as in Deut. 28:63, are mere fallacies, because they believed such to be the case [crediderunt ita]. [And this occurs] because it is a truth that the Lord rules each and all things, and that He is everything, therefore, because they were ignorant of the rest which is indefinite, as that every universal truth contains indefinite things, it is on this account spoken to their most general [communissimum] senses. Such is the speech of good spirits with those who recently arrive from the life of the body before these are instructed. - 1748, June 7.