gs that are _future_ which are eternal.
No; the things which are present have an eternal side to them--the
unseen side.

The man who is a slave to the seen has least of the eternal about him:
the man who despises not the seen, but who through the seen rises to
the unseen, is partaking of eternal life. . . .

_To F. S. H._

Cambridge: October 23, 1895.

Let me congratulate you on the way you ran against Yale.[1] I was
delighted to read of your 'romping' home!! . . . . It seems to me that
every unfulfilled longing is no accidental part of life. The longing,
in so far as it is genuinely human, is derived from Him in whose image
man is made. When it is hard to see why it is not gratified, yet we
{106} may confidently believe that this is part of our training. Is it
not a noble work to enter into and, in some measure, bear the burdens
of other men's lives, even if they have only imperfect sympathy with
ours? May we not sometimes even learn more in this way--or at least
learn different lessons--than if they were so similar to ourselves that
they could at once understand us? I am afraid that you have a hard
struggle before you. You must take care not to act upon first
impressions, or impulse--not even if those impressions are
favourable . . . your best 'pearls' must be used carefully.

[1] In the international athletic sports in U.S.A.

_To F. S. H. on his going to a curacy in Liverpool._

Cambridge: October 18, 1896.

In some respects I am glad to hear of your change of plans. I think
you will be more in your element working in a poor part of a large
town. . . . Our dean has just been preaching on the words 'One soweth,
and another reapeth.' It is a help to realise the continuity of work.
We enter into the work of many a man who has passed away, and who,
while he worked, often despaired and thought that he was achieving
nothing. No work is lost. The obscure and petty--these are relative
terms. We use them, but we are told on the best authority that there
is nothing secret which shall not be made manifest. The consciousness
of the continuity and perpetuity of work quiets and calms us; we need
not hurry over anything. When we have left off sowing, others will
reap. God give us grace to work, for the night {107} cometh when no
man can work. I am so sorry that I have not been able to come up and
see you. But we are working in the same field, though it is too large
across to see one another!