{388} Christian then, and his companion, asked the men to go along with them; so they told them they would.  But, said they, you must obtain it by your own faith.  So I saw in my dream that they went on together, until they came in sight of the gate.

{389} Now, I further saw, that betwixt them and the gate was a river, but there was no bridge to go over:  the river was very deep.  At the sight, therefore, of this river, the Pilgrims were much stunned; but the men that went in with them said, You must go through, or you cannot come at the gate.

{390} 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. [1 Cor. 15:51,52] The Pilgrims then, especially Christian, began to despond in their minds, 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.

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