The first chapter of The Acts presents us with the scene of the Lord's departure. "He was taken up" into heaven. Undesirable as this was to His disciples, as they thought, they were made quite equal to the occasion when the time came; for it is even said, they "returned to Jerusalem with great joy" (Luke 24:5252And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: (Luke 24:52)).
Since redemption's work is accomplished and Jesus glorified, the personal presence of the Holy Ghost on earth is the consequence; and He is the strength and joy of our hearts during the absence of the Lord Jesus Christ. The disciples seem to have had a foretaste of this joy on the occasion referred to above.
Nevertheless the Lord's absence still leaves a blank in the hearts of His own, which can never be filled till they see Him. Therefore the disciples hail with joy the words which fell from the lips of the two heavenly witnesses, who assured these "men of Galilee," who stood looking up into heaven, that this same Jesus, who had been taken up from them into heaven, should so come in like manner as they had seen Him go into heaven (Acts 1:1111Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. (Acts 1:11)).
" 'Tis the treasure we've found in His love
That has made us now pilgrims below."
And when the Treasure was taken to heaven, the hearts of them that were set upon it were taken there too; "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matt. 6:2121For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Matthew 6:21)).
Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, was greatly attached to king David. His heart had been won by acts of kindness, and when the king became an exile, Mephibosheth became a mourner. He refused to make himself at home where the king was not only without a throne, but without honor and without a resting place. True it is, that Mephibosheth must have been more an object of pity than of envy, if we judge by appearance, after the description given of him on the king's return in 2 Sam. 19:2424And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king, and had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came again in peace. (2 Samuel 19:24). But God looks on the heart. And here was one whose joys were so wrapped up in the person of David that he found no rest apart from him, and knew nothing but joy when the king had returned to Jerusalem in peace.
"Called from above, and heavenly men by birth,
(Who once were but the citizens of earth)
As pilgrims here, we seek a heavenly home,
Our portion, in the ages yet to come.
"Where all the saints of ev'ry clime shall meet,
And each with all shall all the ransomed greet,
But oh! the height of bliss, my Lord, shall be
To owe it all, and share it all, with Thee.
"We are but strangers here, we do not crave
A home on earth, which gave Thee but a grave;
Thy cross has severed ties which bound us here,
Thyself our treasure in a brighter sphere."