.jpg)
Is this the longest sentence in the English language? It comes from John Howe’s ‘The Blessedness of the Righteous’, based on Ps.17:15: ‘As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.’
‘And what do we think of the ravishing aspects of his love, when it shall now be open-faced, and have laid aside its veil; when his amiable smiles shall be checkered with no intermingled frowns; the light of that pleasing countenance be obscured by no intervening cloud! when goodness, which is love issuing into benefaction, or doing good – grace, which adds freeness unto goodness – mercy, which is grace towards the miserable – shall conspire in their distinct and variegated appearances to set off each other, and enhance the pleasure of the admiring soul! when the wonted doubts shall cease, and the difficulty vanish, of reconciling once necessary fatherly severity with love! when the full sense shall be unfolded to the life of that description of the divine nature, “God is love”; and the soul be no longer put to read the love of God in his name, as Moses was when the sight of his face could not yet be obtained; shall not need to spell it by letters and syllables; but behold it in his very nature itself, and see how intimately essential it is to the Divine Being, - how glorious will this appearance of God be!’
‘And what do we think of the ravishing aspects of his love, when it shall now be open-faced, and have laid aside its veil; when his amiable smiles shall be checkered with no intermingled frowns; the light of that pleasing countenance be obscured by no intervening cloud! when goodness, which is love issuing into benefaction, or doing good – grace, which adds freeness unto goodness – mercy, which is grace towards the miserable – shall conspire in their distinct and variegated appearances to set off each other, and enhance the pleasure of the admiring soul! when the wonted doubts shall cease, and the difficulty vanish, of reconciling once necessary fatherly severity with love! when the full sense shall be unfolded to the life of that description of the divine nature, “God is love”; and the soul be no longer put to read the love of God in his name, as Moses was when the sight of his face could not yet be obtained; shall not need to spell it by letters and syllables; but behold it in his very nature itself, and see how intimately essential it is to the Divine Being, - how glorious will this appearance of God be!’
At least it must be one of the best!
