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 this world, but he is not here now. Where is he? Jesus, the Son of God, is in heaven; he is sitting on the throne of God his Father. When did he go there? Oh, it is a long while ago since he went up to heaven. I will tell you how it was. Surely you would like to know all about it.

On the day that he meant to go up to heaven he took a walk with some of his dear friends. They loved him very much, as well they might. Just six weeks before, he had been nailed to a cross, and killed, and buried. But he had soon come out of his grave; and now the marks of the nails might be seen on his hands and feet, and the mark of a great spear in his side, but the places were quite well, they did not bleed now, though once they had bled a great deal. Whenever his friends looked at those marks, they thought of his love in dying for them, for it was for their sins he died, and not for theirs only, but for your sins, also, my child.

His friends liked to walk with him and to talk to him. About what did Jesus speak? About his Father and about heaven. He told his friends he should soon leave them, but he made them a promise. What was it? He said that he would send the Holy Spirit down from heaven to be with them. Who is the Holy Spirit? He is God; he comes down and fills the hearts of God's people. It is pleasant to see Jesus, and to walk about with him, but it is still better to have the Holy Spirit in our hearts, for the Holy Spirit makes people good and happy.

Where was Jesus when he took his last walk with his friends? He was in a town called Jerusalem, and he walked into the country. How sweet is a country walk? Children who live in towns are delighted when their fathers say to them, "I shall take you to the green fields to-day." Then the children think, "We shall hear the birds sing, and we shall gather flowers from the hedges, and see the little lambs by the side of their mothers; we shall play about, and be so happy." And even grown-up people like to go into the country. If they wish to talk about God, they like to walk in a quiet place among shady trees. Jesus took his friends by his favourite path; he led them down into a low place over a little stream, then by a garden where olive trees grew,—then up a green mountain called Olivet. When they were at the top he began to pray with them. While he prayed, he lifted up his hands to bless them. In a moment he was gone—a cloud took him up. His friends looked up, and the cloud was going up higher and higher, till at last it looked like a speck, and then could not be seen at all.

But on the mountain-top there stood two men; they were angels, dressed in white. No one can tell how bright angels look, or how sweetly they speak. These angels had come to comfort the friends of the Lord Jesus. They said, "Why do you stand looking up towards heaven? Jesus shall come again in the same way that you