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[Illustration: Book Cover]

  No. 47.

  CHRIST GOING UP TO
  HEAVEN.

  BY THE AUTHOR OF "PEEP OF DAY."

  LONDON:
  JOHN HATCHARD AND SON.
  1848.




[Illustration]

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 have seen him go into heaven."

Has Jesus come again? Not yet; but he will come. Those angels would
not have told lies; they know that Jesus will one day come down here
again, and that they shall come with him. What a glorious day it will
be! Some people will be very much frightened when they see him; they
will howl, and shriek, and try to hide themselves in deep holes, but
they will not be able to get away. The angels will seize them, and
shut them in that dark and burning place where Satan will torment them
for ever and ever. But some people will be glad to see Jesus; they
will say, "This is our God; we have waited for him." Should you be
glad, my dear child, to see Jesus this day? We know not when he will
come. Have you prayed to him to-day? Do you love him?

But what became of the friends of Jesus who were standing on Mount
Olivet looking up into the sky? They could not stay with the angels,
they went back to Jerusalem. Did they go back crying and sobbing, and
saying, "We have lost our dearest friend?" Oh, no; they went back
quite glad, for they had not lost Jesus; they knew where he was gone;
they knew he would pray to his Father, and that he would send down
the Holy Spirit very soon. So they waited at Jerusalem as Jesus had
told them, and in ten days Jesus did send down the Holy Spirit upon
his dear friends.

There is a sweet name given to the Holy Spirit; it is this, the
Comforter. Why is he called the Comforter? Because he comforts people
when they are in trouble. When we are unhappy we like to be comforted.
If a little child falls down and hurts itself, it runs crying to its
mother; it wants to be comforted. And oh, how tenderly a mother
comforts her little darling! She takes it on her knee and kisses it,
and says, "Tell mother what is the matter. Has it hurt its dear little
hand?" and then she kisses the hand, and the child soon leaves off
crying, and leans its head upon its mother's bosom.

But no mother can comfort as the Holy Spirit can. He tells people
that God loves them, and has forgiven their sins, and will take them
to heaven. My child, ask God for his Holy Spirit, and he will hear you.

You may find the history of Jesus going up to heaven in Luke xxiv. 50
to end; Acts i. 1--12.




      There is a glorious world of light,
        Above the starry sky,
      Where saints departed, clothed in light,
        Adore the Lord most high.
      We're marching through Immanuel's ground,
      And soon shall hear the trumpet sound.
        We hope to meet at Jesus' feet,
          And never, never part again!
            What! never part again?
            No, never part again.
            What! never part again?
            No, never part again.
        We hope to meet at Jesus' feet,
          And never, never part again.

  (_Hill's Collection._)


Macintosh, Printer, Great New-street, London.




PRAYER.


      O Father in Heaven,
      Thou hast made all things;
      The sun, moon, and stars, the land and sea.
      Thou hast made me.
      Thou hast taken care of me.
      I thank Thee for all thy kindness.

      Great God, Thou art in every place;
      Thou seest in the dark,
      As well as in the light;
      Thou knowest all the naughty things
      That I have done, and said, and thought.

      O Merciful Lord, pardon my sins,
      Because Jesus Christ, thy dear Son,
      Died upon the cross for sinners.
      Give me thy Holy Spirit,
      That I may love Thee, and obey thy laws.
      Keep me from minding Satan,
      And save me from going to hell:
      And whenever I die,
      O take my soul to Heaven.

      When Jesus comes with clouds,
      And with the holy angels,
      May I be glad to see Him.
      May my dear parents, and brothers, and sisters,
      Be happy with Thee for ever and ever.
      May all people love Thee,
      And speak of thy goodness.
      Hear me for Christ's sake.      Amen.




Transcriber's Note


  * Obvious punctuation errors repaired.