The Pilgrim's Progress (Part I)

Section 4 - Valley of the Shadow of Death

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: "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 dwelt".

"Neither said they, Where is the LORD that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt?" Jeremiah 2:6

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

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, making haste to go back,

"And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel , saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature." Numbers 13:32

to whom CHRISTIAN spake as follows:

Chr. Whither are you going?

The Two 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 is the matter?" said CHRISTIAN.

Men. "Matter!" said they; "we were going that way as you are going, and went as far as we durst; and indeed we were almost past coming back, for had we gone a little farther, 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;

"Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death." Psalm 44:19

"Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron;" Psalm 107:10

but that by good hap we looked before us, and saw the danger before we came to it.

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 a continual howling and yelling, as of a people in unutterable misery, who there sat bound in affliction and irons; and over that valley hangs 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.

"Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it." Job 3:5

"A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and wherethe light is as darkness." Job 10:22

Chr. Then said CHRISTIAN, "I perceive not yet, by what you have said, but that this is my way to the desired haven."

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.