nature of his sins.

Sin, as I said, in the nature of it, is horrible, though it be but
one single sin as to act; yea, though it be but a sinful thought; and
so worthily calls for the damnation of the soul.

The comparison, then, of little and great sinners, is to go for good
sense among men. But to plead the fewness of thy sins, or the
comparative harmlessness of their quantity before God, argueth no
sound knowledge of the nature of thy sin, and so no true sense of the
nature or need of mercy.

Little sinner, when therefore thou goest to God, though thou knowest
in thy conscience that thou, as to acts, art no thief, no murderer,
no whore, no liar, no false swearer, or the like, and in reason must
needs understand that thus thou art not so profanely vile as others;
yet when thou goest to God for mercy, know no man's sins but thine
own, make mention of no man's sins but thine own. Also labour not to
lessen thy own, but magnify and greaten them by all just
circumstances, and be as if there was never a sinner in the world but
thyself. Also cry out, as if thou wast the only undone man; and that
is the way to obtain God's mercy.

It is one of the comeliest sights in the world to see a little sinner
commenting upon the greatness of his sins, multiplying and
multiplying them to himself, till he makes them in his own eyes
bigger and higher than he seeth any other man's sins to be in the
world; and as base a thing it is to see a man do otherwise, and as
basely will come on it; Luke xviii. 10-14.