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Listen to Episodes 1-5 all in one

Pilgrim’s Progress text to follow along with

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;
so being refreshed, he addressed himself to his journey, with
his sword drawn in his hand; for he said, I know not but
some other enemy may be at hand. But he met with no oth-
er affront from Apollyon quite through this valley.
Now, at the end of this valley, was another, The Val –
ley 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 shad-
ow of death, a land that no man” (but a Christian) “passed
through, and where no man dwelt”92.
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
92 Jer. 2:668
The Pilgrim’s Progress
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,93 making haste to go back; to whom Christian
spake as follows—
CHRISTIAN. Whither are you going?
MEN. They said, Back! back! and we would have you to
do so too, if either life or peace is prized by you.
CHRISTIAN. Why? what’s 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 further, we
had not been here to bring the news to thee.
CHRISTIAN. But what have you met with? said Chris-
tian.
MEN. Why, we were almost in the Valley of the Shadow
of Death; but that, by good hap, we looked before us, and
saw the danger before we came to it.94
CHRISTIAN. 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 under 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.95
CHRISTIAN. Then said Christian, I perceive not yet, by
what you have said, but that this is my way to the desired
haven.96
93 Num. 13
94 Psa. 44:19; 107:10
95 Job 3:5; 10:22
96 Jer. 2:669
Combat with Appolyon
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.
I saw then in my dream so far as this valley reached,
there was on the right hand a very deep ditch: that ditch is
it into which the blind have led the blind in all ages, and
have both there miserably perished.97 Again, behold, on the
left hand, there was a very dangerous quag, into which, if
even a good man falls, he can find no bottom for his foot to
stand on. Into that quag king David once did fall, and had
no doubt therein been smothered, had not HE that is able
plucked him out.
The pathway was here also exceeding narrow, and there-
fore good Christian was the more put to it; for when he
sought, in the dark, to shun the ditch on the one hand, he
was ready to tip over into the mire on the other; also when
he sought to escape the mire, without great carefulness he
would be ready to fall into the ditch. Thus he went on, and
I heard him here sigh bitterly; for besides the dangers men-
tioned above, the pathway was here so dark, that ofttimes,
when he lift up his foot to set forward, he knew not where,
or upon what he should set it next.
About the midst of this valley, I perceived the mouth
of hell to be, and it stood also hard by the way-side. Now,
thought Christian, what shall I do? And ever and anon the
flame and smoke would come out in such abundance, with
sparks and hideous noises (things that cared not for Chris-
tian’s sword, as did Apollyon before), that he was forced to
put up his sword, and betake himself to another weapon,
called All-prayer.98 So he cried in my hearing, “O Lord, I
97 Psa. 69:14, 15
98 Eph. 4:1870
The Pilgrim’s Progress
beseech Thee, deliver my soul!”.99 Thus he went on a great
while, yet still the flames would be reaching towards him.
Also he heard doleful voices, and rushings to and fro, so
that sometimes he thought he should be torn in pieces, or
trodden down like mire in the streets. This frightful sight
was seen, and these dreadful noises were heard by him for
several miles together. And, coming to a place, where he
thought he heard a company of fiends coming forward to
meet him, he stopped and began to muse what he had best
to do. Sometimes he had half a thought to go back; then
again he thought he might be half way through the valley;
he remembered also how he had already vanquished many
a danger, and that the danger of going back might be much
more than for to go forward; so he resolved to go on. Yet
the fiends seemed to come nearer and nearer; but when they
were come even almost at him, he cried out with a most ve-
hement voice, “I will walk in the strength of the Lord God”;
so they gave back, and came no further.
One thing I would not let slip; I took notice that now
poor Christian was so confounded, that he did not know his
own voice; and thus I perceived it. Just when he was come
over against the mouth of the burning pit, one of the wick-
ed ones got behind him, and stept up softly to him, and,
whisperingly, suggested many grievous blasphemies to him,
which he verily thought had proceeded from his own mind.
This put Christian more to it than anything that he met
with before; even to think that he should now blaspheme
Him that he loved so much before; yet, if he could have
helped it, he would not have done it; but he had not the
discretion either to stop his ears, or to know from whence
these blasphemies came