AE 1175 - the Lord leads a person by their affections

AE 1175 [4]
Why a person is led by the Lord by means of affections and not by means of thoughts shall now be told. When a person is led by the Lord by means of affections, he can be led according to all the laws of His Divine providence, but not if he should be led by means of thoughts. Affections do not become evident to man, but thoughts do; also affections produce thoughts, but thoughts do not produce affections; there is an appearance that they do, but it is a fallacy. And when affections produce thoughts, they produce all things of a person, because these constitute his life. Moreover, this is known in the world. If you hold a person in his affection, you hold him bound, and lead him wherever you please, and a single reason is then stronger than a thousand. But if you do not hold a person in his affection, reasons are of no avail, for his affection, when not in harmony with them (reasons), and either perverts them or rejects them or extinguishes them. It would be similar if the Lord should lead a person by means of thoughts immediately, and not by means of affections. Again, when a person is led by the Lord by means of affections, it seems to the person as if he thought freely as if of himself, and spoke freely and acted freely as if of himself. And this is why the Lord does not teach a person immediately, but mediately by means of the Word, and by means of conversations and intercourse with others; for from these things man thinks free as if of himself.