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        Then in my dream I saw that when they had come to the foot of the hill, these good friends of Christian's gave him a loaf of bread, a flask of wine, and a bunch of dry grapes; and then they left him to go on his way.

But now in this Valley of Humiliation poor Christian was was hard pressed, for he had not gone far when he spied a foul fiend come in the field to meet him, whose name was Apollyon. Then did Christian fear, and he wrest in his mind if he would go back or stand his ground. But Christian thought that as he had no coat of mail on his back, to turn round might give Apollyon a chance to pierce him with his darts. So he stood his ground and turned to face his foe.

So he went on, and Apollyon met him with looks of scorn.

Apollyon: Why have you come, and to what place do you seek?

Christian: I am come from the City of Destruction, which is the place of all evil, and am going to the City of Zion.

Apollyon: By this I see you are mine, for of all that land I am the Prince. How is it then, that you have left your king?

Christian: I was born in your realm, it is true, but you drove us too hard, and your wage was such as no man could live on.

Apollyon: No prince likes to lose his men, nor will I as yet lose you; so I will see that you come back. What my realm yields I will give you.

Christian: But I am bound by vows to the King of Kings; and how can I then go back with you?

I gave Him my faith, and swore to be true to Him. 

Apollyon: You did the same to me, and yet I will pass by all, if you will but turn and go back.

Christian: What I gave to you, I did in my youth; but I count that the Prince under whom I now stand is able to free me of my sin. Beside, you are one full of hate; to speak truth, I like His wages better than yours. I am His and I will follow Him. I am on the King's road to Zion.

Then Apollyon blocked the whole breadth of the way and said, "Here on this spot I will put you to death."

With that he threw a dart of fire at his breast, but Christian had a shield on his arm, with which he fought it. The did Christian draw his sword, for he saw it was time to fight; and Apollyon moved fast at him, and threw darts as thick as hail; with which, in spite of all that Christian could do, Apollyon gave him wounds in his head, hand, and foot.

They fought for half a day, till Christian was weak from his wounds. When Apollyon saw this, he threw him down with great force. Christian's sword fell out of his hand. Then said Apollyon, "I am sure that you are now mine!" And with that he near pressed him to death, so that Christian began to lose hope.

But while he strove to made an end of Christian, that good man put out his hand in haste to feel for his sword, and caught it. "Boast not, O Apollyon!" he said, and with that he struck him a blow which made his foe reel back as one that had his last wound. the he spread out his wings and fled, so that Christian for a time saw him no more.

 

    So when the battle was over, Christian said, "I will here give thanks to him that delivered me out of the mouth of the lion, to him that did help me against Apollyon."

 

Then there came to him a hand, with some of the leaves of the tree of life, the which Christian took, and applied to the wounds that he had received in the battle, and was healed immediately. He also sat down in that place to eat bread, and to drink of the bottle that was given him a little before.

 

 

 

    Now near this place was the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and Christian knew he must go through it to get to The Celestial City. It was a land of drought and full of pits, a land that none but such as Christian could pass through, and where no man dwelt. So that here he was put more to the test than in his fight with the foul fiend, Apollyon.

    I saw then in my dream that so far as this dark vale went, there was on the right hand a deep ditch; that ditch to which the blind have led the blind as long as the world has been made. And lo, on the left hand there was a quag, in which if a man falls, he will find no firm ground for his foot to stand on. The path was not wide, and so good Christian was put more to the test; for when he sought in the dark to shun the ditch on the right side, he felt he might fall in the mire on the left. This went on for miles, and in the midst of the vale was a deep pit, which I thought to be hell. 

Then he thought he heard a voice which said: "Though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will fear no harm, for thou art with me."

About this time the sun rose, and from the place where he stood, he could see the way filled full of snares, traps, gins, and nets; so full of pits, falls, and deep holes, that had it been dark, as it was when he came through the first part of the way, he would have been cast out. And so as the day broke, Christian said, "His light shines on my head, and by His light I shall go forth."

 

 

Table Of Contents  Dream begins, A Man with a Burden Evangelist & the Slough of Despond Worldly Wiseman & Entering the Wicket-Gate The House of Interpreter  The Burden meets the Cross, The Shining Ones  Formalist, Hypocrisy, The Hill Difficulty, Arbor, Mistrust&Timorous The Palace Beautiful, Chained Lions,  Lessons from Discretion, Piety, Charity, and Prudence Valley of Humiliation Battle with Apollyon, Valley of Shadow of Death, Faithful  Vanity Fair, The Trial, Burned at the Stake  Hopeful, Pillar of Salt, River of God, Vain-confidence Doubting Castle, Giant Despair, Delectable Mountains   Atheist, Enchanted Ground Passing Through The Waters Of Death Entering the Gates of Heaven 

The Dream