“Deinde iterum imposuit manus super oculos ejus : et cœpit videre : et restitutus est ita ut clare videret omnia.”
“After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.”
“Once again Jesus placed His hands on the man’s eyes, and when he opened them his sight was restored, and he could see everything clearly.”
“Then again he laid his hands on his eyes. He looked intently, and was restored, and saw everyone clearly.”
“Then again he laid his hands upon his eyes; and he looked stedfastly, and was restored, and saw all things clearly.”
Our Saviour made use of exterior signs in the performance of his miracles to command attention, and to signify the inward effects of the favours grants: these the Catholic Church, after the example of her Founder and Model, also uses in the celebration of her sacraments, and for the same purposes. Nor ought any supercilious and superficial reasoner to undervalue and contemn the corporal and external application of holy things, under the hollow plea, that we are exclusively to attend to the spirit and faith.
Verses 22-26 Here is a blind man brought to Christ by his friends. Therein appeared the faith of those that brought him. If those who are spiritually blind, do not pray for themselves, yet their friends and relations should pray for them, that Christ would be pleased to touch them. The cure was wrought gradually, which was not usual in our Lord's miracles. Christ showed in what method those commonly are healed by his grace, who by nature are spiritually blind. At first, their knowledge is confused; but, like the light of the morning, it shines more and more to the perfect day, and then they see all things clearly. Slighting Christ's favours is forfeiting them; and he will make those who do so know the worth of privileges by the want of them.