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"And the soule is in this body, not as at home in her owne house, but as a trauailer in an Inne."

— Cole, James (fl. 1629)

Author

Cole, James (fl. 1629)

Work Title

Of Death a True Description and Against it a Good Preparation: Together with a Sweet Consolation, for the Surviving Mourners

Place of Publication

London

Publisher

Printed by A. M[athewes]

Date

1629

Metaphor

"And the soule is in this body, not as at home in her owne house, but as a trauailer in an Inne."

Metaphor in Context

But being seperated from this body, will it be able to doe any thing? This wee may in some sort conceiue in this life. For when a mans spirit is bused in its owne worke, that is, in some kinde of meditation, wee may presently perceiue, that the lesse the bodily members, yea his fiue senses are occupied, the more earnester hee withdrawes him|selfe to his cogitations. Yea oft he will shut his very eyes, that the receiuing of their obiects may not disturbe him. We read that Archimedes his minde was so busied about humane Art, that the very Citie of Siracisa, where he then abode, was taken, and he himselfe by the Enemie surprised, before hee perceiued the least rumour thereof. And St. Paul, when the heauenly visions were reuealed vnto him, hee was so farre from needing his bodily members thereunto, that he himselfe knew not whether he was in the body, or out of the body. And long time before this, when God would teach Iacob, Abimelech, Salomon, Ioseph, and others, some matters of great moment, did he not first let their bodies fall a sleepe? Hee knew well enough, that thine best helpe would but haue beene a hinderance to spirituall matters. Doth not this shew vnto vs, that the body is but to the soule as a clogge tied to the legge. Seneca hath well obserued, how tedious this flesh is to our soule. Now (saith he) doth the belly ake, then the stomacke, then the throat. Now to there too much blood, anon, too little; And the soule is in this body, not as at home in her owne house, but as a trauailer in an Inne. The soule then is created to a higher degree, to wit, to liue at ease on high in her owne proper dwelling place.
(pp. 44-6)