A Mirror both for Saints and Sinners, Treatise · Chapter 61
CHAP. LXI. Callings, Trades.
MEn must abide in them, 1 Cor. 7. 20.
Commanded, 1 Tim. 5. 14. Rom. 12. 8. Prov. 27. 23. Eph. 4. …8.
It makes rich, Prov. 12. 24, 27. & 13. 4. & 21. 5. & 22. 29.
Skill therein is from God, Exod. 35. 30, &c.
Scriptural Examples: the good houswife, Prov. 31. 27.
Other Examples, Solon the Athenian Lawgiver, enacted that the sonne should not relieve his father when he was old, except he had brought him up to some occupation: and this he did, that so all might have some honest trade, whereby to do good to the Commonwealth, and to maintaine themselvs and theirs: and that the Councel of the Areopagites, should enquire how every man lived, and to punish such as they found idle. Plut.
The Egyptians enjoyned all men to be of some vocation, and Amasis, one of their Kings, made a Law, that every man once a year, should give an account how he lived.
Amongst the Turks every man must be of some trade, the grand Signeur himselfe not excepted. Mahomet the Great that conquered Greece, used carving, and to make wooden spoones: And this present Sultan (saith Sands in his voyage to Hierusalem, p. 73.) maketh notches for bowes.
The Egyptians made a Law, that he that could not shew by what meanes he maintained himselfe should be put to death. Plut. Laert. in vita Periandri.
The Castle of Edenburgh in Scotland, built by Cruthenus, King of the Picts, was called the Castle of Maidens, because the daughters of the Pictish Kings were kept there to their needles till they were married. Bucan.
Idlenesse, falsly charged upon the Jewes in Egypt, Exod. 5. 8, 17.
The mischiefs of Idlenesse, Prov. 19. 15. Eccles. 10 18. Prov. 13. 4. & 20. 4. & 12. 24, 27. & 18. 9.
Reproved, Mat. 20. 6. 1 Tim. 5. 13. Prov. 6. 9, 10 & 10. 26. Rom. 12. 11.
It was the sinne of Sodom, Ezek. 16. 49. It cast David upon tentation, 2 Sam. 11. 2. and Eve, (as it is conceived) Gen. 3. 1. The evil servant, Mat. 25. 26. The Cretians, Tit. 1. 12. Sluggard sent to the Ant, Proverbs 6. 6.
The danger of slothfulnesse, Prov. 15. 19. & 19. 24 & 21, 25. & 22. 13. & 26. 13, &c. & 24. 30. & 19. 15. Eccles. 10. 18.
The Lacedemonians would suffer none of their Subjects to spend their time in sports, or idlenesse, and when their Magistrates were told of some that used to walk abroad in the afternoones, they sent to them, requiring that leaving their idlenesse, they should betake themselves to honest labours, and imployments: For (say they) It becomes the Lacedemonians to procure health to their bodies by labour, and exercise, not to corrupt them by sloth, and idlenesse. AElian.
They also brought up their children in labour from their infancy, whereby it grew into a Proverb, That only the Lacedemonian women brought forthmen. Alex.
The Cretians brought up their sonnes from their childhood in daily, and difficult labours, lest when they grew old they should think that it was not unseemly to waste themselves in idlenesse. Idem.
The Gymnosophists to reclame their schollars from idlenesse, enacted a Law, that young men should neither eat, nor drink any day before they had given account to the Elder what work they had done that morning. Idem.
Amasis made a Law that the Egyptian youth should no day eat any food till they had runne one hundred and eighty furlongs: judging them unfit either to eat, or drink, till by honest labour they had deserved it. Diod. Sic-
The AEthiopians anciently accustomed their youth daily to fling great stones, or darts, that thereby they might understand, that man was born to labour, not to idlenesse. Alex. ab Alex.
Numa Pompilius to prevent idlenesse amongst the Romanes, divided the fields amongst them, appointing some officers often to walk about them: himselfe also sometimes did it to observe every mans diligence, and husbandry, and those whom he found idle, he sharply reproved, or banished them. Plut.
Cyrus King of Persia would never go to dinner, or supper, till he had made himselfe sweat by some labour. Stobaeus
Anrelianus the Emperour never suffered day to passe over his head, wherein he did not exercise himselfe in some hard labour, or military imployment. Alex. ab Alex.
The City of Casan in Parthia is much to be commended for its civil Government, for an idle person is not suffered to live amongst them: The childe that is but six years old is set to labour: no ill rule disorder, or riot is suffered there: They have a Law amongst them, whereby every person is compelled to give in his name to the Magistrates, withall declaring by what course he liveth: and if any tell untruly, he is either soundly beaten on the feet, or imployed in publick slavery. P. Pil. v. 1.
In China the whole Countrey is well husbanded, and though the people generally are great spenders, yet they first get it by their hard labour. Idle persons are much abhorred in this Countrey, and such as will not labour, must not eat amongst them: for there are none that will give almes to the poore. If any be blinde, they are put to grinde in horse mills: If lame, impotent, bedrid, &c. the next of their kin is forced to maintaine them: If they be not able, the King hath Hospitals in every City, wherein they are sufficiently provided for. P. Pil. v. 3.