And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.
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He did not deserve to have corporeal eyes who endeavoured to take away from others the eyes of the mind.
he says, to bring him to repentance. But, oh that love of rule! Oh, that lust of vainglory! How it does overturn and ruin everything; makes people stand up against their own, against each other's salvation; renders them blind indeed, and dark, insomuch that they have even to seek for some to lead them by the hand! Oh that they did even this, oh that they did seek were it but some to lead them by the hand! But no, they no longer endure this, they take the whole matter into their own hands. (This vice) will let no man see: like a mist and thick darkness it spreads itself over them, not letting any see through it. What pleas shall we have to offer, we who for one evil affection, overcome another evil affection (supra p. 176), but not for the fear of God! For example, many who are both lewd and covetous, have for their niggardliness put a bridle upon their lust, while other such, on the contrary, have for pleasure's sake, despised riches. Again, those who are both the one and the other, ha...
It was not vengeance then, but healing: for it is as though he said: It is not I that do it, but the hand of God. Mark how unassuming! No light, as in the case of Paul, shone round about him. Acts 9:3 You shall be blind, he says, not seeing the sun for a season, that he may give him opportunity for repentance: for we nowhere find them wishing to be made conspicuous by the more stern (exercise of their authority), even though it was against enemies that this was put forth: in respect of those of their own body (they used severity), and with good reason, but in dealing with those without, not so; that (the obedience of faith) might not seem to be matter of compulsion and fear. It is a proof of his blindness, his seeking some to lead him by the hand. Acts 5:1 ff. And the proconsul sees the blindness inflicted, and when he saw what was done, he believed: and both alone believed not merely this, but, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord
It was the sign by which he was himself converted, and by this he would fain convert this man. As also that expression, for a season, puts it not as an act of punishing, but as meant for his conversion: had it been for punishment, he would have made him lastingly blind, but now it is not so, but for a season (and this), that he may gain the proconsul. For, as he was prepossessed by the sorcery, it was well to teach him a lesson by this infliction (and the sorcerer also), in the same way as the magicians (in Egypt) were taught by the boils. Exodus 9:11 And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness: and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.
