Cornelius a Lapide

Jesus heard that they had cast him out , &c Christ received him kindly, and rewards his constancy. Having given sight to his body, He now enlightens his mind. In giving him bodily sight, He had cast in some scattered seeds of faith, which He now particularly forms into perfect shape: so as to make him believe, that He whom he looked upon as a mere prophet, for having given him sight, was God also, and the Son of God. The Gloss says, “ The blind man had already a heart prepared to believe, but knew not in whom he had to believe.” This, in answer to his question, he learns from Christ Christ took trouble to find him in the place, where He knew he was. It is the part of a good shepherd to seek fora wandering Digitized by V^rOOQie 352 sheep, who cannot by itself come back into the right way. “ They expel,” says & Augustine (in loc .), “ the Lord receives, and he becomes a Christian, even the more because he was expelled.” Believest thou t Christ did not demand faith from the blind man for the healing of his body, but He does for the healing of his soul : for, as S. Augustine says (Serm. xv. de Verb. Apost .), “ He who made thee without thyself, doth not justify thee without thyself: He made thee without thy knowledge, He justifies thee through thy will”