Godly Sorrow and Deadly Sorrow

But the dejection and sorrow that “produces a steadfast repentance that leads to salvation” is obedient, courteous, humble, kind, gentle, and patient, since it springs from the love of God. Out of the desire for perfection it reaches out tirelessly to every bodily pain and sorrow of spirit. And in some way, rejoicing and feeding on the hope of its own profit, it keeps all the gentleness of courtesy and forbearance, since it has in itself all the fruits of the Holy Spirit that the same apostle lists: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faith, gentleness, modesty.” [a]

But the other kind is rough, impatient, hard, full of bitterness and useless grief and a despair that is itself a punishment. It breaks down the man it has fastened on and keeps him from effort and from wholesome sorrow, since it is unreasonable. It not only hampers the power of his prayers but actually destroys all those fruits of the Spirit we spoke of, which the other sorrow knows how to produce.