[ 1255] The great benefit of repentant Tears.
IT is reported of a River in Sicily,* 1.1 wherein if black sheep be but bathed, their wooll immediately will turn white: And it is well known, that the waters of Iordan cleansed the Leprosie of Naaman the Syrian. So whosoever he be that bathes himself in the pure Fountain of Repentant tears, shall be purged from all the filthinesse of Sin; though it be as red as scarlet, yet it shall be made as white as wooll:* 1.2 And the reason is given by S. Ambrose, Quia lacrymae tacitae quaedam pre∣ces sunt, non p••stulant, sed merentur, non causam dicunt sed consequuntur, Our tears are a kind of silent Prayers, which, though they say nothing, yet they obtain par∣don; and though they plead not a Man's cause, yet they procure Mercy from Gods hands, as we find in S. Peter, Non legitur quid dixerit, &c. he said nothing that we can read of, but wept bitterly, and obtained Mercy.