Christian then and his companion asked the men to go along with them: so they told
them that they would; But, said they, you must obtain it by your own faith. So
I saw in my dream, that they went on together till they came in sight of the
gate.
Now I further
saw, that betwixt them and the gate was a river; but there was no bridge to go
over, and the river was very deep. At the sight, therefore, of this river the
pilgrims were much stunned; but the men that went with them said, You must go
through, or you cannot come at the gate.
The pilgrims then
began to inquire if there was no other way to the gate. To which they answered,
Yes; but there hath not any, save two, to wit, Enoch and Elijah, been permitted
to tread that path since the foundation of the world, nor shall until the last
trumpet shall sound. The pilgrims then, especially Christian, began to despond
in their mind, and looked this way and that, but no way could be found by them
by which they might escape the river. Then they asked the men if the waters
were all of a depth. They said, No; yet they could not help them in that case;
for, said they, you shall find it deeper or shallower as you believe in the
King of the place.
Then they
addressed themselves to the water, and entering, Christian began to sink, and
crying out to his good friend Hopeful, he said, I sink in deep waters; the
billows go over my head; all his waves go over me. Selah.
Then said the
other, Be of good cheer, my brother: I feel the bottom, and it is good. Then
said Christian, Ah! my friend, the sorrows of death have compassed me about, I
shall not see the land that flows with milk and honey. And with that a great
darkness and horror fell upon Christian, so that he could not see before him.
Also here he in a great measure lost his senses, so that he could neither
remember nor orderly talk of any of those sweet refreshments that he had met
with in the way of his pilgrimage. But all the words that he spoke still tended
to discover that he had horror of mind, and heart-fears that he should die in
that river, and never obtain entrance in at the gate. Here also, as they that
stood by perceived, he was much in the troublesome thoughts of the sins that he
had committed, both since and before he began to be a pilgrim. It was also
observed that he was troubled with apparitions of hobgoblins and evil spirits;
for ever and anon he would intimate so much by words.
Hopeful therefore
here had much ado to keep his brother’s head above water; yea, sometimes he
would be quite gone down, and then, ere a while, he would rise up again half
dead. Hopeful did also endeavor to comfort him, saying, Brother, I see the
gate, and men standing by to receive us; but Christian would answer, It is you,
it is you they wait for; for you have been hopeful ever since I knew you. And
so have you, said he to Christian. Ah, brother, (said he,) surely if I was
right he would now arise to help me; but for my sins he hath brought me into
the snare, and hath left me. Then said Hopeful, My brother, you have quite
forgot the text where it is said of the wicked, “There are no bands in their
death, but their strength is firm; they are not troubled as other men, neither
are they plagued like other men.” These troubles and distresses that
you go through in these waters, are no sign that God hath forsaken you; but are
sent to try you, whether you will call to mind that which heretofore you have
received of his goodness, and live upon him in your distresses.
Then I saw in my
dream, that Christian was in a muse a while. To whom also Hopeful added these
words, Be of good cheer, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole. And with that
Christian brake out with a loud voice, Oh, I see him again; and he tells me,
“When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the
rivers, they shall not overflow thee.” Then they both took courage, and
the enemy was after that as still as a stone, until they were gone over.
Christian, therefore, presently found ground to stand upon, and so it followed
that the rest of the river was but shallow. Thus they got over.
