9266. 'For a gift blinds those whose eyes are open' means that gain prevents truths from being seen. This is clear from the meaning of 'a gift' as any kind of gain, dealt with immediately above in 9265; from the meaning of 'blinding', when it refers to truths, as preventing them from being seen; and from the meaning of 'those whose eyes are open', or those who can see, as those who have a knowledge of truths and can see clearly what the truth is. For 'seeing' means knowing, understanding, and acknowledging truths, and also possessing faith, 897, 2150, 2325, 2807, 3764, 3863, 3869, 4403-4421, 5114, 5286, 5400, 6805, 8688, 9128. This explains why 'those whose eyes are open' are elsewhere called 'the wise',

A gift ¹ blinds the eyes of the wise. Deuteronomy 16:19.

Poznámky pod čarou:

2325. 'And Lot saw' means [their] conscience - that is to say, the conscience of those with whom the good of charity exists but whose worship is external. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'seeing'. 'Seeing' in the Word means understanding, see 897, 1584, 1806, 1807, 2150. In the internal sense however 'seeing' means having faith, a meaning which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed at Genesis 29:32. The reason why conscience is meant here is that people who have faith have conscience as well. Conscience is inseparable from faith, so inseparable in fact that it makes no difference whether you speak of faith or of conscience. By faith is meant faith through which charity comes, and which derives from charity. This being so, it is charity itself, for faith without charity is not faith at all. And just as faith is not possible without charity, neither is conscience possible without it.