Halbert

“When men are wounded by sin, disquieted and perplexed, and knowing that there is no remedy for them but only in the mercies of God, through the blood of Christ, do therefore look to him, and to the promises of the covenant in him, and thereupon quiet their hearts that it shall be well with them, and that God will be exalted, that he may be gracious to them, and, yet their souls are not wrought to the greatest detestation of the sin or sins upon the account whereof they are disquieted, -- this is to heal themselves, and not to be healed of God. This is but a great and strong wind, that the Lord is nigh unto, but the Lord is not in the wind. When men do truly "look upon Christ whom they have pierced," without which there is no healing or peace, they will "mourn", Zech. 12:10; they will mourn for him, even upon this account, and detest the sin that pierced him.”
― John Owen, The Mortification Of Sin

“They must glaze, adorn, and dress the objects of the flesh, and bring them home to give satisfaction; and this they are able to do, in the service of a defiled imagination, beyond all expression.”
― John Owen, The Mortification Of Sin

“Men certainly speak peace to themselves when their so doing is not attended with the greatest detestation imaginable of that sin in reference whereunto they do speak peace to themselves, and abhorrency of themselves for it.”
― John Owen, The Mortification Of Sin

“Even for those at the academic bottom of the class, the questions are still valid. All of us can do something. a. At what have I done well so far in life? b. In what school subjects have I done well? c. Why did I choose those subjects? d. What do I like to do that has caused others to compliment me? e. What do I do well and think of as fun although my friends see it as work — or as a boring activity? 3. Analyze yourself and your situation. As much as you can, analyze matters for yourself instead of depending upon tests and outside advice. However, I know that some people are not very good at self-reflection and do better by interacting with others. (By the way, part of the talent of people-centered individuals is to interact well with others!) 4. Whether you can figure out the answers to these questions, or you talk them over with someone else, find someone whose judgment is respected. Your parents, perhaps. A teacher. Your pastor. An older family friend. Your closest friend. 5. Write down what is said by those in whom you confide. 6. Compare those ideas to what you have written about yourself. Are the answers the same? What do you now see about yourself that you didn’t think of before? For four or five days, spend some time each day by yourself in thinking about these answers.”
― Ben Carson, Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence