4121. All and the least things of the Word are containers
The words of the literal sense of the Word are most general containers, and indeed so general, and in fact so very general, that countless heavenly and spiritual goods and truths can be inserted into them. They are ugly because they are most general, but because people are of such a character that they only want to become wise from things palpable to the senses, and do not want to learn any but bodily and most general things, they are such containers - such as that all evil is from the Lord [cf. Is. 45:7], when yet not the very least bit of evil is from Him. But because mankind wants to become wise from bodily things and from darkness, therefore it is confirmed in this way that the Lord rules, and provides all things, thus one who believes in simplicity without any restriction that there is nothing that is not from the Lord, so that it is He Alone that does all things, such a person can remain in that opinion - also in the opinion that the Lord tempts man, and many other such ideas. But still, truths can be attached to those same containers,
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.
4121. Quod omnia et singula Verbi sint vasa
Quae sunt Verbi, in sensu literali, sunt vasa communissima, et quidem tam communia, et quidem communissima, ut eis insinuari queant coelestia et spiritualia, bona et vera, innumerabilia, sunt deformia, quia communissima, sed quia homines tales sunt, ut ex sensualibus solum sapiunt, nec scire volunt, quam corporea, et communissima, talia vasa sunt; sicut quod omne malum a Domino [cf. Jes. XLV: 7], cum ne ullum quidem ne minimum malum, sed quia homo vult ex corporeis et ex caligine sapere, ideo, confirmatur sic quod Dominus regat, provideat omnia, sic qui simpliciter absque ulla restrictione credit, quod nihil non est Domini, sic1 ut Solus sit, Qui omnia agit, is potest in tali opinione manere, similiter quod Dominus tentet hominem, et perplura alia; at usque eisdem vasis applicari possunt