The business at hand for the sinner must be to consider his seriousSource: John Owen, Mortification of Sin, 44.
condition. He needs to apply himself toward conversion. God stirs our conscience
and disquiets our heart that we might recognize our need of Him. Seeking
mortification of sin just to quiet the soul and find relief from the torment of
the conscience, all the while neglecting to deal with the root cause of sin, is
a result of self-love.
Biblical counseling in the 17th century
John Owen writes: