Shepherd of Hermas 39

1Clothe yourself, then, with cheerfulness, which always has favor with God and is acceptable to him, and delight in it. For every cheerful man does good, thinks good things, and despises sorrow.

2But the sorrowful man always acts wickedly: first, he acts wickedly because he grieves the Holy Spirit that was given to the human being as cheerful; second, by grieving the Holy Spirit he works lawlessness, neither praying nor confessing to the Lord. For the prayer of a sorrowful man never has power to ascend to the altar of God.

3“Why,” I ask, “does the prayer of the one who is sorrowing not ascend to the altar?” “Because,” he says, “sorrow has settled in his heart. Therefore sorrow, mixed with the prayer, does not allow the prayer to ascend pure to the altar. For just as vinegar and wine, mixed together, do not have the same pleasantness, so also sorrow, mixed with the Holy Spirit, does not have the same prayer.”

4Cleanse yourself, then, from this evil sorrow, and you will live to God; and all will live to God, as many as cast off sorrow from themselves and clothe themselves with all cheerfulness.