ENTRANCE INTO REST.

IV.

Hebrews 4:  1.—­Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

Hebrews 4:  11.—­Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

I want, in the simplest way possible, to answer the question:  “How does a man enter into that rest?” and to point out the simple steps that he takes, all included in the one act of surrender and faith.

And the first step, I think, is this:  that a man learns to say, “I believe, heartily, there is rest in a life of faith.”  Israel passed through two stages.  This is beautifully expressed in the fifth of Deuteronomy:  “He brought us out, that He might bring us in”—­two parts of God’s work of redemption—­“He brought us out from Egypt, that He might bring us into Canaan.”  And that is applicable to every believer.  At your conversion, God brought you out of Egypt, and the same almighty God is longing to bring you into the Canaan life.  You know how God brought the Israelites out, but they would not let Him bring them in and they had to wander for forty years in the wilderness—­the type, alas! of so many Christians.  God brings them out in conversion, but they will not let Him bring them in into all that He has prepared for them.  To a man who asks me, “How can I enter into the rest?” I say, first of all, speak this word, “I do believe that there is a rest into which Jesus, our Joshua, can bring a trusting soul.”  And if you would know what the difference is between the two lives—­the life you have been leading, and the life you now want to lead, just look at the wilderness and Canaan.  What are the points of difference?  In the wilderness, wandering for forty years, backward and forward; in Canaan, perfect rest in the land that God gave them.  That is the difference between the life of a Christian who has, and one who has not entered into Canaan.  In wandering backward and forward; going after the world, and coming back and repenting; led astray by temptation, and returning only to go off again;—­a life of ups and downs.  In Canaan, on the other hand, a life of rest, because the soul has learned to trust:  “God keeps me every hour in His mighty power.”  There is the second difference:  the life in the wilderness was a life of want; in Canaan, a life of plenty.  In the wilderness there was nothing to eat; there was often no water.  God graciously supplied their wants by the manna, and the water from the rock.  But, alas! they were not content with this, and their life was one of want and murmurings.  But in Canaan God gave them vineyards that they had not planted, and the old corn of the land was there waiting for them; a land flowing with milk and honey; a land that lived by the rain of Heaven