t

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CHRISTIAN MEETS TWO MEN GOING BACK.

battle, and was healed immediately. He also sat down in that place to eat bread, and to drink of that bottle that was given him a little before: so being refreshed he addressed himself to his journey with his sword drawn in his hand; for he said, I know not but some other enemy may be at hand. But he met with no other affront from APOLLYON quite through the valley. Now at the end of this valley was another, called the valley of the SHADOW OF DEATH, and CHRISTIAN must needs go through it, because the way to the Celestial City lay through the midst of it. Now this valley is a very solitary place. The prophet JEREMIAH thus describes it: "A wilderness, a land of deserts and "of pits; a land of drought, and of the shadow of "death; à land that no man," but a Christian, passeth through, and where no man dwelt.”

Now here CHRISTIAN was worse put to it than in his fight with APOLLYON; as by the sequel you shall

see.

I saw then in my dream, that when CHRISTIAN was got on the borders of the SHADOW OF DEATH, there met him two men, children of them that brought up an evil report of the good land, making haste to go back; to whom CHRISTIAN spake as follows:

Whither are you going?

They said, Back! back! and we would have you to do so too, if either life or peace is prized by you.

Why, what's the matter? said CHRISTIAN.

Matter! said they, We were going that way as you are going, and went as far as we durst; and indeed we

THEY IN VAIN ATTEMPT TO DISCOURAGE HIM.

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were almost past coming back: for had we gone a little further we had not been here to bring the news to thee.

But what have you met with? said CHRISTIAN.

MEN. Why we were almost in the valley of the SHADOW OF DEATH;' but that by good hap we looked before us and saw the danger before we came to it.

But what have you seen? said CHRISTIAN.

MEN. Seen! why the valley itself, which is as dark as pitch: we also saw there the hobgoblins, satyrs, and dragons of the pit: we heard also in that valley a continual howling and yelling, as of people under unutterable misery, who there sat bound in affliction and irons; and over that valley hang the discouraging clouds of confusion: death also doth always spread his wings over it. In a word, it is every whit dreadful, being utterly without order.

Then said CHRISTIAN, I perceive not yet, by what you have said, but that this is my way to the desired haven.

MEN. Be it thy way; we will not choose it for ours. So they parted; and CHRISTIAN went on his way, but still with his sword drawn in his hand, for fear lest he should be assaulted.

I saw then in my dream, so far as this valley reached there was on the right hand a very deep ditch; that ditch is it into which the blind hath led the blind in all ages, and have both there miserably perished. Again, behold, on the left hand there was a very 2 Job, iii. 5. x. 22.

Píal, xliv. 19.

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THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH

dangerous quag, into which if even a good man falls he finds no bottom for his foot to stand on: into this quag king DAVID once did fall, and had, no doubt, therein been smothered, had not he that is able plucked him out.'

The path-way was here also exceeding narrow, and therefore good CHRISTIAN was the more put to it; for when he sought in the dark to shun the ditch on the one hand, he was ready to tip over into the mire on the other; also when he sought to escape the mire, without great carefulness he would be ready to fall into the ditch. Thus he went on, and I heard him here sigh bitterly for besides the danger mentioned above, the path-way was here so dark, that oft-times when he lifted up his foot to go forward he knew not where, nor upon what, he should set it next,

About the midst of the valley, I perceived the mouth of hell to be, and it stood also hard by the way-side : Now, thought CHRISTIAN, what shall I do? And ever and anon the flame and smoke would come out in such abundance, with sparks and hideous noises, (things that cared not for CHRISTIAN's sword, as did APOLLYON before) that he was forced to put up his sword, and betake himself to another weapon, called all-prayer : so he cried, in my hearing, "O Lord I beseech thee "deliver my soul"." Thus he went on a great while, yet still the flames would be reaching towards him: also he heard doleful voices, and rushing to and fro, so that sometimes he thought he should be torn in pieces, or trodden down like mire in the streets. This frightful

Pfal. Ixix. 14. 2 Pf. cxvi. 4. Ephef. vi. 18.

CHRISTIAN'S TERROR AND PERPLEXITY.

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sight was seen, and these dreadful noises were heard, by him for several miles together: and coming to a place where he thought he heard a company of fiends coming forward to meet him, he stopt, and began to muse what he had best to do: sometimes he had half a thought to go back; then again he thought he might be half way through the valley: he remembered also how he had already vanquished many a danger; and that the danger of going back might be much more than for to go forward. So he resolved to go on: yet the fiends seemed to come nearer and nearer: but when they were come even almost at him, he cried out with a most vehement voice, "I will walk in the "strength of the LORD GOD;" so they gave back, and came no further.

One thing I would not let slip: I took notice that now poor CHRISTIAN was so confounded that he did not know his own voice; and thus I perceived it: just when he was come over against the mouth of the burning pit, one of the wicked-ones got behind him, and stept up softly to him, and whisperingly suggested many grievous blasphemies to him, which he verily thought had proceeded from his own mind. This put CHRISTIAN more to it than any thing that he met with before, even to think that he should now blaspheme him that he loved so much before; yet if he could have helped it he would not have done it: but he had not the discretion either to stop his ears or to know from whence those blasphemies came.

When CHRISTIAN had travelled in this disconsolate condition some considerable time, he thought he heard

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CHRISTIAN CHEARED BY THE BREAKING OF DAY.

the voice of a man, as going before him, saying, "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow "of death I will fear no ill, for thou art with me."

Then was he glad, and that for these reasons :first, because he gathered from thence, that some who feared GOD were in this valley as well as himself:secondly, for that he perceived God was with them, though in that dark and dismal state: and why not, thought he, with me? though by reason of the impediment that attends this place I cannot perceive it: -thirdly, for that he hoped (could he overtake them) to have company by and by.-So he went on, and called to him that was before; but he knew not what to answer; for that he also thought himself to be alone. And by and by the day broke: then said CHRISTIAN, He hath" turned the shadow of death into the "morning3."

Now morning being come he looked back, not out of desire to return, but to see by the light of the day what hazards he had gone through in the dark.: so, he saw more perfectly the ditch that was on the one hand, and the quag that was on the other; also how narrow the way was which led betwixt them both: also now he saw the hobgoblins, and satyrs, and dragons of the pit, but all afar off, for after break of the day they came not nigh; yet they were discovered to him, according to that which is written, "He discovereth "deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to "light the shadow of death"."

Now was CHRISTIAN much affected with his deli

a Pf. xxiii. 4. * Job, ix. II. 3 Amos, v. 8. 4 Job, xii. 22,