d a great deal to do with the
formation of Abe's Christian character in after years. Certainly a
long time elapsed before there was any sign of spiritual life in her
son; indeed, she was called away to her eternal rest before there was
any indication of good in his heart; what matters that? the good seed
was there; it would bide its time and then grow all the stronger.
Sometimes people conclude that because there is not immediate growth
there is no life; this does not follow; the grain may slumber for
years, then wake up and grow rapidly. I on one occasion saved some
orange pippins, dried and planted them with the hope that they might
grow; as time went on, I watered and watched them, but there was no
indication of growth; months went by: I lost heart, gave over watering,
threw the plant-pot in which they were sown out of doors; a year was
gone by and more, when one day my eye fell on this same pot all covered
with green growth. "Hey! what's this?" why, positively, they are young
orange plants, standing up hardy and healthy, protesting against my
want of faith and patience. It is often the same with the growth of
other seed in the human breast; when parents have waited long in vain,
their faith grows gradually less and less, until it dies out in
despair; but the good seed may not die, it is sleeping, it lives its
winter life, and then under the tender and genial touch of some
spring-like influences it begins to grow. "Be not afraid, only
believe," said the Master of the vineyard.

Why the young baby that had come to reside in that little cot should
have the honourable name of Abraham may be a subject of question by
some. It evidently was not to perpetuate his father's name, though
from the beginning of generations this has been a sufficient argument
for calling son after father; on that ground John Baptist had a narrow
escape from being called Zacharias. That however could not influence
the decision in Abraham Lockwood's case, because his father's name was
William. Perhaps it was that the child indicated a patriarchal spirit,
and conducted himself like a _stranger in a strange land_, in which
case there might be a suggestion of that name. Perhaps it was a piece
of parental forethought, for knowing well that they could never confer
riches upon him, or place him in a position to make them himself, they
determined to do that for him, which everyone must say is far better,
they would see to it that he had a _good n