Truth, notwithstanding that the person may not
himself perceive it; just as it happens to a stupid invalid who does not
say that his mouth is bittered but that the food is bitter. Now that
kind of blindness is expressed by him whose eyes are changed and
deprived of their natural powers, by that which the heart has given and
imprinted upon it, powerful not only to change the sense, but besides
that, all the faculties of the soul as the present image shows.
According to the meaning of the eighth, the high intelligible object
has blinded the intellect, as the high superposed sensible has
corrupted the senses. Thus it would happen to him who should see Jove in
his majesty, he would lose his life and in consequence his senses. As he
who looks aloft sometimes is overcome by the majesty.[AG] Besides, when
he comes to penetrate the Divine species, he passes it like a ray.
Whence say the theologians that the Divine word is more penetrating than
sharp point of sword or knife. Hence is derived the form and impression
of His own footstep, upon which nothing else can be imprinted and
sealed. Therefore, that form being there confirmed and the new strange
one not being able to take its place unless the other yields,
consequently he can say, that he has no power of taking any other, if
there is one who replaces it or scatters it through the necessary want
of proportion. The ninth reason is exemplified, by the ninth who is
blind through want of confidence, through dejection of spirit, the which
is caused and brought about also by a great love which He fears to
offend by His temerity. Whence says the Psalm: "Averte oculos tuos a me,
quia ipsi me avolare fecere." And so he suppresses his eyes so as not to
see that which most of all he desires, as he keeps his tongue from
talking with whom he most wishes to speak, from fear that a defective
look or word should humiliate him or bring him in some way into
misfortune. And this generally proceeds from the apprehension of the
excellence of the object above its potential faculty: whence the most
profound and divine theologians say, that God is more honoured and loved
by silence than by words; as one sees more by shutting the eyes to the
species represented, than by opening them, therefore the negative
theology of Pythagoras and Dionysius is more celebrated than the
demonstrative theology of Aristotle and the scholastic doctors.

[AG]

... Gaze, as thy lips have said,
On God Eternal