44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.



Ver. 44. She hath washed my feet with tears] Her heart was a sacred alembic, {a} out of which those tears were distilled. Never did any man read his pardon with dry eyes.



Washed my feet with tears, &c.] We read not that the Virgin Mary ever did as this greater sinner did. Repentance is the fair child of that foul mother, sin, as the Romans said of Pompey, Å÷èñïõ ðáôñïò öéëôáôïí ôåêíïí . And it is question whether more glorifies God, innocence or penitence?



{a} An apparatus formerly used in distilling, consisting of a cucurbit or gourd-shaped vessel containing the substance to be distilled, surmounted by the head or cap, or alembic proper, the beak of which conveyed the vaporous products to a receiver, in which they were condensed. It is now superseded by the retort and worm still. ŒD