Death of standfast.

When Mr. Standfast had thus set things in order, and the time being come for him to haste him away, he went down to the river.  Now there was a great calm at that time in the river; wherefore Mr. Standfast, when he was about half way in, stood a while and talked to his companions that had waited upon him thither:  and he said, “This river has been a terror to many; yea, the thoughts of it also have often frightened me:  now, methinks, I stand easy; my foot is fixed upon that on which the feet of the priests that bare the ark of the covenant stood, while Israel went over this Jordan.

“The waters indeed are to the palate bitter and to the stomach cold; yet the thoughts of what I am going to, and of the convoy that waits for me on the other side, doth lie as a glowing coal at my heart.  I see myself now at the end of my journey; my toilsome days are ended.  I am going to see that head that was crowned with thorns, and that face that was spit upon for me.  I have formerly lived by hearsay and faith, but now I go where I shall live by sight, and shall be with him in whose company I delight myself.  I have loved to hear my Lord spoken of; and whenever I have seen the print of his shoe in the earth, there I have coveted to set my foot too.  His name has been to me as a civet-box, yea, sweeter than all perfumes.  His voice to me has been most sweet, and his countenance I have more desired than they that have most desired the light of the sun.  His words I did use to gather for my food, and for antidotes against my faintings.  He has held me, and hath kept me from mine iniquities, yea, my steps have been strengthened in his way.”

Now while he was thus in discourse, his countenance changed; his “strong man bowed under him;” and after he had said, “Take me, for I am come unto thee,” he ceased to be seen of them.

But glorious it was to see how the open region was filled with horses and chariots, with trumpeters and pipers, with singers and players on stringed instruments, to welcome the pilgrims as they went up, and followed one another in at the beautiful gate of the city.

Death of Christian and hopeful.

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; billows go over my head, all his waves go over me.”

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 sorrow 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 he in a great measure lost his senses, so that he could neither remember nor orderly talk of any of those sweet refreshments that he had met wilh 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.