No. 47.
CHRIST GOING UP TO
HEAVEN.
BY THE AUTHOR OF "PEEP OF DAY."
LONDON:
JOHN HATCHARD AND SON.
1848.
CHRIST GOING UP TO HEAVEN.
Once the Son of God walked about thisworld, but he is not here now. Whereis he? Jesus, the Son of God, is in heaven;he is sitting on the throne of Godhis Father. When did he go there?[Pg 2]Oh, it is a long while ago since he wentup to heaven. I will tell you how itwas. Surely you would like to know allabout it.
On the day that he meant to goup to heaven he took a walk withsome of his dear friends. They lovedhim very much, as well they might.Just six weeks before, he had been nailedto a cross, and killed, and buried. Buthe had soon come out of his grave; andnow the marks of the nails might beseen on his hands and feet, and the markof a great spear in his side, but theplaces were quite well, they did not bleednow, though once they had bled a greatdeal. Whenever his friends looked atthose marks, they thought of his love indying for them, for it was for their sinshe died, and not for theirs only, but foryour sins, also, my child.
[Pg 3]His friends liked to walk with himand to talk to him. About what didJesus speak? About his Father andabout heaven. He told his friends heshould soon leave them, but he madethem a promise. What was it? He saidthat he would send the Holy Spirit downfrom heaven to be with them. Who isthe Holy Spirit? He is God; he comesdown and fills the hearts of God's people.It is pleasant to see Jesus, and to walkabout with him, but it is still better tohave the Holy Spirit in our hearts, forthe Holy Spirit makes people good andhappy.
Where was Jesus when he took hislast walk with his friends? He was ina town called Jerusalem, and he walkedinto the country. How sweet is a countrywalk? Children who live in towns aredelighted when their fathers say to them,[Pg 4]"I shall take you to the green fields to-day."Then the children think, "Weshall hear the birds sing, and we shallgather flowers from the hedges, and seethe little lambs by the side of theirmothers; we shall play about, and be sohappy." And even grown-up peoplelike to go into the country. If theywish to talk about God, they like towalk in a quiet place among shady trees.Jesus took his friends by his favouritepath; he led them down into a low placeover a little stream, then by a gardenwhere olive trees grew,—then up a greenmountain called Olivet. When theywere at the top he began to pray withthem. While he prayed, he lifted up hishands to bless them. In a moment hewas gone—a cloud took him up. Hisfriends looked up, and the cloud wasgoing up higher and higher, till at last[Pg 5]it looked like a speck, and then couldnot be seen at all.
But on the mountain-top there stoodtwo men; they were angels, dressed inwhite. No one can tell how bright angelslook, or how sweetly they speak. Theseangels had come to comfort the friendsof the Lo