And behold, Cain became reassured in his great fear. The cloud vanished and he wept tears of repentance and went to find food for his family. He kept thinking how far he had distanced himself from Paradise, how he had so completely forfeited the love of the Lord and had been thrust into harsh justice and was standing on the brink of God's judgment. And as he was thus pondering he shed more and more tears of repentance and became increasingly aware of the magnitude of his guilt before God, wondering whether there could be any chance of regaining even the slightest amount of love. – The Household of God, Book 1, Chapter 21, Paragraph 1