No Talent in Consoling

I have a friend who often rings me up on the Yahoo Messenger. He resents himself and thinks that he has no right to live or be loved. What added fuel to the fire is that two weeks ago he was dumped. I told him to change the way he views himself, but he's too stubborn to change his mind.

Anyways, the problem is I don't really know what to say when he talked to me. But if I just let him go typing without any message from me he'd think that I was not listening. Yet I really don't know how to console him or give him a constructive suggestion, because we two have pretty much the same problem. I hate myself, too.

So please guide me on what I can say when confronting with people that have the same problems with me. Please don't suggest me to sink down into the bottoms of endless self-hatred with him, because he is a person who's already very close to suicide. I'm trying really hard to be bright when talking to him.

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Thanks to all your replies! After looking through all your advices, I decided to stick to what I was doing and the only thing I could do best - just listen. I'm not good at advice-offering, anyways. I just remained patient and let him know that even when he thinks that the world had turned its back on him, I'd still be here for him. I can't solve his troubles but only be there when he needed me.
And I was amazed at how it worked! He complimented me very considerate and caring. Yet he still can't get over that suicide stuff. Whenever we talk about it he sounded like "it can't be changed" or "it's none of your business." He had been considering suicide for around 4 years, and thinks it's not something that a person who had only been talking to him for a year can change about. He told me the reason that he intended to suicide was that he couldn't stand a jerk like himself to live and stain the world! Anyways, his main reason for suicide was not focused on the girl who dumped him but himself. From his tone, I don't think the suicide is going to happen soon. I think he's waiting for after college or work. However, he often said things concerning death and suicide.
I told our school counselor about this, and she told me if there's any sign that he is serious, she can contact his homeroom teacher to talk to him. The problem is he doesn't believe in adults. His family had always abandoned him. He obeys adults, but not in heart confide in them. So I don't know who to turn him into when things get serious. Also, I'm a little afraid that he'd think that I betrayed him by telling away his secret to an adult....

There's nowhere I can't reach.