That, “they did spit in his face,” signifies those who reject His proffered grace. They likewise buffet Him who prefer their own honour to Him; and they smite Him on the face, who, blinded with unbelief, affirm that He is not yet come, disowning and rejecting His person.
Reproduced in full. Translation: Oxford 1841 (Newman), public domain (Public domain).
Also cites: Quaest. Ev., i, 44