The Valley of the Shadow of Death.

down in that place to eat bread, and to drink of the bottle that had been 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; (Jer. i. 6.) "a wilderness, a land of deserts and of pits, a land of drought, and of the Shadow of Death, a land that no man (but a christian) passeth through, and where no man dwells."

The "leaves or the tree of life" represent the promises which lead the believer to Christ and his merits. See Dr. Watts, Book iii. Hymn viii. The "hand" which brought them, probably denotes, that these promises, which healed his wounds, were brought to his mind by some minister of the gospel. The "bottle of wine" which had been given by the damsels at the foot of the hill, and of which he now drank, perhaps intends his renewed application to the blood of Christ as the atonement for sin, the comfort of which will be peculiarly felt after seasons of sharp temptations. Christian's pursuing his journey "with his sword drawn in his hand," because he knew not but some other enemy might be at hand," intimates that we should not calculate upon future safety from past deliverances, but be constantly prepared by the use of the word of God to repel temptations, from whatever quarter they may come. Satan left the Saviour, after his temptation in the wilderness, "for a season ;" and probably he does not, after sustaining a defeat, renew the attack by a similar temptation, but waits for other opportunities to attempt our ruin, by attacks less subtle, though not less dangerous.

Those Christians who have felt distressing "bondage through fear of death," Heb. ii. 15. because they have dreaded "the judgment" which comes after it, will perceive the admirable propriety with which Mr. Bunyan has described such an awful state of mind. Fitly is it called "The Valley of the Shadow of Death;" for where the mind is terrified and alarmed by slavish fears of death and eternity, it is a resemblance, though but a faint one, a mere "shadow," of the misery which those are suffering, who in the world of spirits eternally endure the "hurt of the second death, Rev. ii. 11. Such

The Valley of the Shadow of Death.

Now here Christian was worse put to it than in his fight with Apollyon, as by the sequel you shall see.

feelings are peculiar to christians; because none besides fully believe and understand what the Scriptures assert, namely, that "the wages of sin is death," Rom. vi. 23. The reader will observe, however, that our ingenious author did not intend this tremendous representation, as what all christians must pass through in their way to heaven. This appears by what he has said of this valley in respect to others of his pilgrims.

The "first and second parts of the valley," are evidently to be understood as descriptive of his own individual experience at two periods of his eventful life. The first part was the most " painful;" the second, "if possible, far more dangerous." In confirmation of the correctness of this conjecture, the following extracts are made from his life. Speaking of his temptations, during a period of bodily affliction, after he had joined the church at Bedford, he says, "As I was at another time very ill and weak, all that time also the tempter did beset me strongly, (for I find he is much for assaulting the soul, when it begins to approach towards the grave: then is his opportunity,) labouring to hide from me my former experience of God's goodness; also setting before me the terrors of death, and the judgment of God, insomuch that at this time, through my fear of miscarrying for ever, (should I now die,) I was as one dead before death came, and was as if I had felt myself already descending into the pit. Methought I said, there was no way, but to hell I must. But behold, just as I was in the midst of these fears, the account of the angels carrying Lazarus into Abraham's bosom, darted in upon me, as who should say, 'So it shall be with thee when thou dost leave this world!' This did sweetly revive my spirits, and help me to hope in God; which when I had with comfort mused on a while, that word fell with great weight upon my mind, 'O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?' 1 Cor. xv. 55. At this I became well both in mind and body at once; for my sickness did presently vanish, and I walked comfortably in my work for God again." p. 95. The other extract is made from the account of his feelings, and on the same subject, when he was in prison. "I will tell you," says Mr. Bunyan, a pretty business. I was once, above all the rest, in a very sad and low condition for many weeks; at which'time also, I being but a young prisoner, and not acquainted with the laws, I had this much lying upon my spirits, that my imprisonment might end at the gallows for aught that I could tell.' Now therefore Satan laid hard at me, to beat me out of heart, by suggesting thus unto me, 'But how if, when you come indeed to die, you should be in this condition; that is, as not to savour of the things of God, nor to have any evidence upon your soul for a better state hereafter? (for indeed at that time all the things of God were hid from my soul.) Wherefore, when I at first began to think of this, it was a great trouble to me; for I thought

The Valley of the Shadow of Death.

I saw then in my dream, that when Christian was got to 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, (Num. xiii, 32.) making haste to go back; to whom Christian spake as follows. CHR. Whither are you going?

MEN. They said, Back, back, and we would have you do so too, if either life or peace is prized by you. CHR. Why, what's the matter? said Christian.

MEN. Matter? said they; we were going the way that you are going, and went as far as we durst: and indeed we were almost past coming back; for had we gone a little further, we had not been here to bring the news to thee.

CHR. 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. Psal. cvii. 10,

CHR. 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

with myself, that in the condition I now was in, I was not fit to die, neither indeed did I think I could, if I should be called to it. Besides, I thought with myself if I should make a scrambling shift to clamber up the ladder, yet I should, either with quaking, or other symptoms of fainting, give occasion to the enemy to reproach the way of God, and his people, for their timorousness. This therefore lay with great trouble upon me; for methought I was ashamed to die with a pale face, and tottering knees, in such a cause as this." Much more of a similar nature Mr. Bunyan has related respecting this second trial from the fears of death. But he was relieved by the following considerations. "I thought," he says, "that it was for the word and way of God that I was in this condition; wherefore I was engaged not to flinch a hair's breadth from it." And again; "I am going on, and venturing my eternal state with Christ, whether I have comfort here or not; if God doth not come in, (to give me comfort,) thought I, I will leap off the ladder even blindfold, into eternity, sink or swim, come heaven, come hell. Lord Jesus, if thou wilt catch me, do; if not, I will venture for thy name," IVIvey's Life of BunyAN, 3rd. Edit. 1823. p. 155, 156.

The Valley of the Shadow of Denth.

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. Job iii. 5. x. 22.

CHR. Then said Christian, I perceive not yet, by what you have said, but that this is my way to the desired haven. Ps. xliv. 18, 19. Jer. ii. 6.

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, that so far as this valley reached, there was on the right hand a very deep ditch that ditch is it, into which the blind have led the blind in all ages, and both have there miserably perished. Again, behold, on the left hand there was a very dangerous quag, into which, if even a good man falls, he finds no bottom for his foot to stand on : into that quag king David once did fall, and had no doubt therein been smothered, had not he that is able plucked him out. Ps. Ixix. 14.

The pathway was here also exceedingly narrow, and

The terrors that Mr. Bunyan felt in prospect of dying, and going into eternity, are shown in this dialogue to have arisen from erroneous conceptions and false impressions, as false and exaggerated as was the account which the ten spies brought back respecting the land of Canaan. A mind oppressed with melancholy, and overwhelmed with distress, involved in confusion, and immured in darkness, if it be also under the influence of ignorance and unbelief, is ndeed in a most afflictive situation. It is possible, however, that they who "fear God, and obey the voice of his servant," sincere and upright believers, may thus "walk in darkness without light;" but it is both their duty and privilege, at such seasons especially, to "trust in the Lord, and to stay themselves upon their God." In such a condition there is great danger of sinning against God, and therefore a necessity of trusting in the Lord, while keeping his way. This is intimated by Christian's going resolutely forward, "with Lis sword drawn in his hand, for fear lest he should be assaulted."

The Valley of the Shadow of Death.

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 hin here sigh bitterly; for besides the danger mentioned above, the pathway was here so dark, that ofttimes, when he lifted up his foot to go forward, he knew not where, or upon what he should set it next."

About the midst of this 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: (Ephes. vi. 18.) so he cried, in my hearing, "O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul." Psalm

" Below the picture of Christian in the Valley of the Shadow of Death:

A

Poor man! where art thou now? Thy day is night,

Good man, be not cast down, thou yet art right;

Thy way to heaven lies by the gates of hell;

Cheer up, hold out, with thee it shall go well.

In such a state of mind as that which has been described, it is extremely difficult to avoid the extremes of presumption on the one hand, or of despair on the other, the way between them being so extremely narrow. Superstitious persons, under the direction of blind guides, have indulged hopes not warranted by the word of God, and therefore presumptuous; and even truly religious persons, in wishing to avoid such presumptuous expectations, are in danger of sinking into despondency and despair; or, in striving against these, there is danger of unscriptural confidence. When believers sink under overwhelming depression into a desponding state of mind, they find that this is" deep mire where there is no standing." The prayer of David in the text referred to, (Ps. Ixix. 14.) exactly expresses the distress of their soul, and their earnest desires for deliverance ;-"Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink; let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters." The distress of Mr. Bunyan was much increased by his fears concerning his eternal safety. "The path-way," to him, "was here so dark, that oft