4129. THAT EVIL SPIRITS ARE BOUND TO OBEY. While speaking with myself, or thinking with myself, concerning the import of the word rib of which the woman was built, evil spirits spoke and thought with themselves precisely as I did. Shortly after they said that they had done so, and yet that subsequently to this they acted in opposition to me. Hence it was given to know, that while the Lord rules the thoughts and speech of man through the angels, evil spirits cannot but think in like manner, and that then they know no otherwise than that it is from themselves. The case is similar with the preacher of bad life, when he commends what is good; evil spirits think and excite the same, but when the preacher is in his true life, then evil spirits have the ascendancy. Thus it is clearly manifest how the evil bring forth good things. - 1748, December 29.