The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan

The Pilgrims then approached the water. Upon entering it, Christian
began to sink! Crying out to his good friend Hopeful, he shouted, "I am
sinking in deep waters! The billows are rolling over my head — all His
waves are washing over me!"
Then Hopeful replied, "Take courage, my brother — I feel the bottom,
and it is firm!"
Christian then cried out, "Ah! my friend, the sorrows of death have
compassed me about! I shall not see the land which flows with milk and
honey!"
With that, a great darkness and horror fell upon Christian, so that he
could not see ahead of him. He also, in great measure, lost his senses —
so that he could neither remember, nor talk coherently of any of those
sweet refreshments which he had met with along the way of his
pilgrimage. But all the words that he spoke still tended to manifest his
horror of mind and heart-fears — that he would die in that river, and
never obtain entrance at the gate.
Here also, as those two men who stood by perceived, Christian was
much in troublesome thoughts concerning the sins that he had
committed — both before and since he began to be a Pilgrim. It was also
observed by his words, that he was troubled with apparitions of
hobgoblins and evil spirits.
Hopeful, therefore, labored hard to keep his brother's head above water.
Yes, sometimes Christian almost drowned — but then, in a short time,
he would surface again, half dead.
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