4121. THAT ALL AND SINGULAR THINGS OF THE WORD ARE VESSELS. The contents of the Word, viewed in the literal sense, are most general vessels, indeed so general, and some parts so extremely general, that celestial and spiritual things, or goods and truths innumerable, may be insinuated thereby. Externally viewed [these vessels] are unsightly, because so very general but inasmuch as men are of such a quality that they gather their wisdom solely from sensual things, and have no disposition to know aught else than things corporeal and most general, therefore it is that there are such vessels; such, for instance, is the proposition that all evil is from the Lord, when in fact no evil, not the very least [is from Him]; but because man would fain be wise from corporeals and from darkness [itself], therefore it is thus confirmed that the Lord governs and foresees all things, and in this way he who simply believes, without any restriction that there is nothing which is not of the Lord, thus that it is He alone who does all things, may [safely] remain in such an opinion, as also that the Lord tempts man, and many other things of the like kind.