Chriftian

overcomes Appolyon.

upon

weaker and weaker. Then Apollyon, efpying his opportunity, began to gather up close to Chriftian, and wrestling with him, gave him a dreadful fall; which Chriftian's fword flew out of his hand. Then faid Apollyon, I am fure of thee now: and with that he had preffed him almost to death; so that Chriftian began to despair of life. But, as God would have it, while Apollyon was fetching his last blow, thereby to make a full end of this good man, Chriftian nimbly reached out his hand for his sword, and caught it, faying, Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy; when I fall I fhall rife again: and with that gave him a deadly thruft, which made him draw back, as one who had received his mortal wound. Chriftian, perceiving this, made at him again, faying, Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that loved us. Then Apollyon spread forth his dragon's wings, and sped him away, fo that Chriftian faw him no more.

In this combat no man can imagine, unlefs he had seen and heard it, as I did, what yelling and hideous roaring Apollyon made all the time of the fight, for he fpake 'like a dragon. On the other fide, ah, what fighs and groans did burft from Chriftian's heart! I never faw him all the while give fo much as one pleasant look, till he perceived he had wounded Apollyon with his two-edged fword; then, indeed, he did fmile, and look upward. This was the dreadfulleft fight I ever faw.

When

When the battle was over, Christian said, I will here give thanks to him that hath delivered me out of the mouth of the lions, and to him that did help me against Apollyon. And fo he did; saying,

Great Beelzebub, the captain of this fiend,
Defign'd my ruin; therefore to this end

He fent him harness'd out; and he with rage,
That hellish was, did fiercely me engage:
But bleffed Michael helped me, and I,

By dint of fword, did quickly make him fly:
Therefore to him let me give lafting praife,
And thanks, and blefs his holy name always.

Then there came to him a hand which brought him fome of the leaves of the tree of life, which Christian took, and applied them to the wounds which he had received in the battle, and immediately he was healed. He also sat down in the fame place to eat bread, and to drink of the bottle that was given him a little before. Being thus refreshed, he addreffed himself to his journey again, with his fword drawn in his hand; for he faid, I know not but fome other enemy may be near. 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

* Christian must needs pafs through the valley of the Shadow of Death, that by experience he might be convinced what his enemies are, and what that mifery is, into which he was funk, and from which he was faved; for, when delivered, the deeper their forrows the louder they'll fing.

must

must needs go through it, because the way to the celestial city lay through the midst of it. This valley

is

a very folitary place. The prophet Jeremiah thus defcribes it, "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) pass "eth through, and where no man dwelt."

Here Christian was worfe put to it than in his fight with Apollyon; as by the fequel you shall see.

I faw in my dream, that when Christian was got to the borders of the Shadow of Death, there met him two men, children of them who brought up an evil report of the good land, making hafte to go back; to whom Christian spake as follows:

Chr. Whither are you going?

Men. Back; back; back: and we would have you do fo too, if either life or peace is prized by you. Chr. Why? What's the matter?

Men. Matter! we were going the fame way as you are now, and went as far as we durft: indeed we were almost paft coming back; for had we gone a little farther, we had not been here to have brought the news to thee.

Chr. But what have you met with?

Men. Why we were almost in the Valley of the Shadow of Death, but, by good hap, we looked before us, and faw the danger before we came to it. Chr. But what have you feen?

Men. Seen! why the valley itself is as dark as pitch: we there faw the hobgoblins, fatyrs, and dra

gons of the pit: we heard alfo, in that valley, a continual howling and yelling, as of people under unutterable mifery, who fat there bound in affliction and irons; over that valley hangs the difcouraging clouds of confufion; Death alfo doth always fpread his wings over it; in a word, it is dreadful, being utterly without order.

Chr. I perceive not yet, from any thing that you have said, but this is ftill my way to the defired ha

ven.

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 fword drawn in his hand, for fear left he should be affaulted.

I faw then in my dream, that as far as this valley reached there was on the right hand a very deep ditch: that is the ditch into which the blind have led the blind in all ages, and both have there miferably perished. Again, on the left hand, there was a very dangerous quag, into which, even if 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, been fmothered in it, had not he, who is able, plucked him out. The pathway here was exceedingly narrow, and therefore good Christian was the more put to it: when he fought, in the dark, to fhun the ditch on the one hand, he was ready to tip over into the mire on the other; and when he fought to efcape the mire, without

great