m 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.

*In the Resurrection of the Righteous. [Rev. 20:4-6]

{391} They then 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.

{392} Christian's conflict at the hour of death

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 hath 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 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 spake 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 also would endeavour 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; 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 in trouble
as other men, neither are they plagued like other men. [Ps. 73:4,5]
These troubles and dist