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In these words there is, first, an exhortation; second, a motive pressing it. In the exhortation we may consider —

1. The dependence of it upon what goes before, intimated in the particle "therefore;" showing that it is an inference from some preceding doctrine. In the latter part of the third chapter, he shows that unbelief kept the disobedient Israelites out of God's rest; both out of Canaan, and heaven typified thereby (chap. 4.).

(1) He lets them see that they had an offer of that eternal rest as well as the Israelites in the wilderness had; because both had the gospel, only the Israelites in the wilderness did not believe it.

(2) The great thing which we are to have in our eye, that rest, namely, of which David speaks (Psalm 95:11); that rest which remains (ver. 9).

(3) What we are to aim at in reference to that rest; "to enter into it," that is, to be partakes of it.

(4) The means to be used, in order to our entering, is labouring. Heaven will not fall down into our mouths while lying on the bed of sloth.

(5) Observe the order of the labour and the rest. In the way of God's appointment, and of godly choice, the labour is first, then comes the rest. It is quite contrary with the wicked. They begin with a day of rest, and end with eternal toil; the godly begin with a night of toil, and end, or rather continue in eternal rest. Oh, that we may follow God's order!

(6) Observe the end and design of this labour: it is rest. Men work in their young days, and lay up that they may rest in old age. So does the Christian. The wicked also labour that they may rest; but there is a vast difference both betwixt their labour and rest. Their labour is in sin, and their rest is there; but sought in vain, "for in the fulness of their sufficiency they are in straits." But the godly have their labour in grace, their rest in glory, and between these there is an infallible connection; who, then, would refuse that labour which ends in that rest.

(7) The persons exhorted to labour; us, which includes the apostle and all the Hebrews, whom he exhorts to-day to hear God's voice, so that this exhortation belongs to all the visible Church, godly and ungodly. Some have entered the avenue leading to glory, some have not; both are called to labour to enter.

2. The motive pressing the exhortation. It is taken from the danger of not labouring. Consider here —

(1) That of which people are in danger, and which will come upon them, if they labour not to enter, falling; that is, falling short of heaven, and missing salvation.

(2) The great cause of ruin, that is, unbelief or unpersuasibleness. Unbelief is the great cause of the ruin of the hearers of the gospel, and that which cuts the sinews of true diligence, so as people under the power of it cannot labour.

(3) A confirmation of the certainty of their ruin: "after the same example of unbelief."(4) The universality of the danger: any man.

I. IN WHAT THE CHRISTIAN'S LABOUR CONSISTS.

1. The mind must be intent on the business of salvation. This imports —

(1) An impression of the weight of that matter upon the spirit. No wise man will labour for a trifle.

(2) An habitual minding of that business. Religion is the believer's trade — hence his conversation is in heaven.

(3) The heart's being set upon salvation (2 Corinthians 5:9). The scattered affections of the soul arc gathered together from off the variety of objects which the world affords us, and are fixed here (Psalm 27:4).

2. In this labour there is painfulness and diligence. The man labours for salvation, as working for his life itself, for indeed he sees his all is at stake. No opposition will make him give over. There is such a faintness in all the endeavours of many for heaven, that with the fearful who have no heart, they are excluded (Revelation 21:8).

3. In this labour there is haste. Our work must be done speedily, for the time proposed for our labouring is but "to-day." There is an unbelieving haste, that will not wait God's time; but this true haste is not to let his time slip.

4. There is this labour carefulness and holy anxiety about salvation, in the managing of the work (Philippians 2:12). Nosy this implies —

(1) The turning of the soul from anxious cares about the world, to a holy solicitude about the salvation of the soul.

(2) A fear of falling short of heaven.

(3) An earnest desire to be set and kept on the way to heaven.

(4) A fear of mismanagement in his work. The labourer for heaven should work, and doth best work with a trembling hand. It was the fundamental maxim of the heathen moralists, Have confidence in yourself. But I may say the Christian maxim is, Have no confidence in yourself. He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool.

II. FOR WHAT WE ARE TO LABOUR. To enter into the heavenly rest. This is that which we are to have in our eye, and to which our endeavours are to be directed. We are not called to work for nought; but as heaven is attainable, we are to labour that we may enter into it.

1. Show some Scriptural notions of heaven, to which this of entering doth agree.

(1) Heaven is held out under the notion of a garden or paradise.

(2) A house.

(3) The temple typified by that at Jerusalem.

(4) A city glorious for magnificence and beauty (Revelation 21.).

(5) A country; even a better country than the best here below (Hebrews 11:16).

(6) A kingdom (Matthew 25:34); a kingdom that cannot be moved (Hebrews 11:28).

2. Show what it is to enter into the heavenly rest.

(1) There is an entering into heaven by the covenant. The covenant of grace is the outer court of heaven. Of this everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure, David says, "this is all my salvation and all my desire." Surely, then, heaven was in it.

(2) There is an entering by faith.

(a)  In so far as faith lays hold upon Christ, and unites us to Him (John 6:54).

(b)  In so far as faith lays hold on the promise in which heaven is wrapped up.

(3) There is an entering by hope (Romans 8:24). Faith goes out as a conqueror, and hope divides the spoil.

(4) There is an entering by obedience. "I know," said Jesus, "that His commandment is life everlasting." There is a personal way to heaven, that is, Christ. "I am," saith He, "the Way." Also a real way to heaven, that is, the commands of God, called everlasting life, because they certainly land the soul in heaven, and there is an infallible connection betwixt true obedience and glory.

(5) There is an entering into heaven by actual possession, which in respect of our souls is at death, and in respect of our bodies will be at the resurrection, which is the full and final entry, to which all the rest are subservient. This entrance is that solemn entering into the king's palace (Psalm 45:15), which shall also be most joyful.

3. Mention some steps in the way by which we must labour to enter.

(1) We must labour to get grace; this is the first step. "Let us have grace," says Paul, "whereby we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear."(2) We must labour to exercise grace in the gracious performance of duties.

(3) Growing in grace.

(4) Assurance of grace and glory.

(5) Perseverance in grace to the end.

4. Consider this labouring to enter, as it has a respect to our preparation for that eternal rest in heaven. The man that is to go abroad is a busy man, putting all things in order for his voyage; and he that is making for his night's rest in bed, is not idle; and he that is to enter into the possession of eternal rest, has much work on his hand preparatory thereto. And thus to labour to enter into the heavenly rest implies —

(1) The solid faith of eternal life, even of this truth, that "there remaineth a rest for the people of God."(2) A sincere desire to be partaker of that rest, after this troublesome life is over.

(3) Resolute endeavours to enter there, by God's own way, which has already been described.

(4) Frequent thoughts of that eternal rest.

III. HOW WE SHOULD LABOUR

1. We should labour willingly and cheerfully.

2. Diligently.

3. With all your might.

4. Resolutely.

5. Constantly.

6. With fear and trembling.

7. Quickly.

8. Refusing no piece of work God puts into your hands.

9. Evangelically.

IV. THAT WE MUST LABOUR IN ORDER TO OUR ENTERING INTO THAT REST.

1. Consider the several notions under which the Christian's life and the way to heaven is held forth, all of them implying true pains and labours. It is a working, "Labour not for the meat that perisheth" (Greek, "work"), (John 6:27). Here he that works not shall not eat. Yea, it is a working out of our own salvation; a bringing the work to perfection, otherwise what is done will be lost (2 John 8). It is compared to the work of the husbandman, which you know is not easy, ploughing, sowing, reaping (Hosea 10:12), especially considering that they are both the labourers, and the ground that is laboured. The Christian is a spiritual soldier, he must fight (2 Timothy 4:7); yea, and overcome (Revelation 3:21). Heaven has a strait gate by which to enter in, and therefore cannot be entered with ease. Men must press into it (Luke 16:16); and take it by storm; yea, put forth their utmost strength as they that agonising. The apostle says (2 Corinthians 5:91, "we labour"; the word signifies to labour most earnestly, as an ambitious man for honour; and what will not such do, to gain their point?

2. Consider how the way to heaven was typified under the Old Testament. Canaan was a type of heaven, and to what labour were the Israelites put before they could reach that land, though it was promised to them. Another eminent type of it, was the ascent into the temple, which was seated upon a hill, even Mount Moriah (1 Kings 10:5). Many a weary step had some of them ere they got to Jerusalem (Psalm 84:6, 7); and when they came there, they had to ascend unto the hill of God (Psalm 24:3), the mount of the Lord's house, a type of heaven.

3. Consider how the Scripture supposeth this labour (Romans 7:24; Galatians 6:5).

4. Consider how the Scripture represents the sluggard and his temper to us, as most hateful to God, and as one that is lost by his sloth (Proverbs 13:4; Proverbs 20:4, and Proverbs 21:25). The sluggard is the unprofitable servant (Matthew 26:1-34).

5. Whom God intends for heaven, in then] He puts an active principle of grace. It is as natural for grace to bring forth good works, as for a good fruit tree to bring forth good fruit.

6. To enter heaven without labour is a contradiction; and so impossible. Heaven is a reward, and necessarily pre-supposeth working. Moreover, it is a rest which is a relative term, and has necessarily labour pre-supposed to it.

V. WHY WE MUST LABOUR IN THIS SPIRITUAL WORK, in order to our entering heaven. Negatively; not because by works we must merit heaven, for the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Our working is the way to the kingdom; not the cause of our reigning; Christ's working was that. But we must labour, because —

1. It is the command of our great Lord and Master, whose command we are not to dispute, but to obey.

2. The glory of God requires it.

3. Because there is an infallible connection betwixt labouring and the rest. Labouring is the only way we can attain it. There is no reaching the treasure of glory without digging for it.

4. Because otherwise we pour contempt on the heavenly rest. It was the sin of the Israelites (Psalm 106:24, 25).

5. Because it is difficult work you have to do, and therefore we should set ourselves to labouring, for it is heart work.Motives:

1. Consider that in other things you do not refuse to labour. You are not such as live idle and at ease. Now God is putting a piece of work in your hands; will you labour for others, but not for Him?

2. Your profession and your vows call upon you to labour to enter.

3. Your time is short; ere long all of us shall be in an unalterable state.

4. Your time is uncertain, as well as short.

5. The devil is busy to keep you out of that rest.

6. You have weighty calls to this work and labour.Lessons:

1. You have the call of the Word and ordinances. Wherefore has the Lord sent you His gospel, but for this end.

2. You have the call of providence.

3. The call of conscience.

4. If you labour not, you will never see heaven.Now to make this labour easy to you, I would recommend —

1. To keep the encouragements to the work in your eye; particularly such as these, the example of those that have gone before you, and have got safe to the journey's end. These have made it appear the work is possible, and the reward certain.

2. Live by faith.

3. Labour to get and keep up love to Christ.

4. Look upon that labouring as your interest as well as your duty.

5. Be constant in that labour.

(T. Boston, D. D.)

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KJV: Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

WEB: Let us therefore give diligence to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of disobedience.