The divine physician, prescribing rules for the prevention, and cure of most diseases, as well of the body, as the soul demonstrating by natural reason, and also divine and humane testimony, that, as vicious and irregular actions and affections prove often occasions of most bodily diseases, and shortness of life, so the contrary do conduce to the preservation of health, and prolongation of life : in two parts / by J.H ...

SECT. IV. Of Idleness, Sloth, and Sluggishness.

IDleness was the sin of Sodom, Ezeck. 16. 49. a sin reproved by the Similitude of the Labourers in the Vineyard, espe∣cially in those words:—Why stand ye here all the day idle? Mat. 20. 6. The slothful, and wicked Man join hands, and go to∣gether, as one in the Parable of the Ta∣lents:—Thou wicked and slothful Servant, &c. Mat. 25. 26. God puts no difference betwixt Nequaquam & nequam, An idle and an evil Servant. The Sluggard, or he that is slothful in his work, were there no other respects, is in this much the worse, and that is in the condition of his estate, as well as soul, for and by reason of the non∣improvement of his temporal Talent: For (as Solomon saith) He is brother to him that is a great waster, Pro. 18. 9. and therefore is he reproved by the Wise man, and sent to School to the Ant, (Prov. 6. 6. 10. 12.) to learn prudent industry and diligence.

I could shew you how the afore-named

sins do frustrate the end of our Creation, become the sinks of all mischief, and e∣vil, and so odious and detestable, that the very Devils in Hell are not guilty of them: But my design is onely to point out sin briefly, and then more largely to prove it to be an occasion of bodily diseases, and shortness of life. And of all sins, Idleness, Sloth, and Sluggishness are not the least occasion, being the sediment and colle∣ction of excremental superfluities: For as standing waters soonest putrifie; so do the humours of the body in stagno, the Pool of Idleness. The Lacedemonians would suffer none of their Subjects to spend their time in Sports or Idleness; and when their Magistrates were told of some that used to walk abroad in the afternoons, they sent to them, requiring that leaving their Idleness, 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 Idleness.

Idleness (saith a Modern Author) not

only stupifieth the mind, but also groweth upon the body and blood, and betrayeth them to discomplexion, sickness, and to many infirmities. Yea search the Physi∣cians Library, and observe their Conclu∣sions upon the six Non-naturals, more par∣ticularly upon Motion and Rest, and you may find the discommodities of this sin, (namely) Crudities, obstructions, and a mul∣tiplication of excrementitious humours, and so consequently a languishing, loose, slabby, in∣firm body. Hence it is that such Persons, corrupted with this vice, are unavoidably in continual Physick, have need of Issues, and other artificial helps, for the evacua∣tion, and exiccation of those superfluous moistures, contracted upon them by a se∣dentary and slothful life: But especially those Women who have passed their youth undisciplin'd, and have been bred up in such a delicacy, that they know no other business but their pleasures, I say those find sensibly the pernicious effects of an idle life in those diseases it particu∣larly disposeth them too, as Obstructions of the Liver, Spleen, Womb, and Breast; and

in that grievous inconvenience it produ∣teth, viz. Long travail, difficulty, and danger in Childing; as might easily be confirmed by reason; but that probably a great part of this Sex is sooner convinced by an Argument drawn from sence and their own dear experience, which is most commonly the Mistress of Fools.

I might add hereunto, that they which ••ead sedentary lives, bear weak and sick∣ly Children; and also demonstrate such VVomen to be injurious not only to them∣selves, but also their Posterity. But I must hasten to shew you another natural effect of Idleness, even in both Sexes; and that is a disease which is the leaven of diseases, viz. Melancholly, which proceedeth oft∣times from this vice, and excremental su∣perfluities gathered together in the body: For no greater cause of Melancholly than Idleness; as Democritus Jun. in his Trea∣tise of that subject doth largely shew in place thereof, and most compendiously conclude in another, (viz. the Epilogue) this Prescription, as an Antidote against that disease: Be not idle, be not solitary, Bur∣ton's Melancholy.

Moreover, there are many other disease that are the excrescences of this sin: but let it suffice in general terms to denote it as a main occasion of bodily distempers brooding, and hatching them by a seden∣tary life: So true is that of the Poet Ovid

—Ignavum corrumpunt otia corpus.

Idelness corrupts, wastes and destroys the body. And the learned Galen saith as much Otium reddit imbecillas vires membrorum Com. 3. in lib. de Off. c. 32. Also in an∣other place, Otium liquefacit, Com. 3. i•• lib. 6. Eped. c. 2. And also Nature's great Explorator, Lord Verulam, in his History of Life and Death, doth denote unto us That an idle life doth manifestly make the flesh soft, and dissipable; and so consequently an Enemy to long life.

Sluggishness is likewise much of the same Nature, and property, bringing many from the Couch to the Bed of sick∣ness, and from the Bed to the Coffin. For if the old Rule be true, Diluculo surgere saluberrimum est, To arise betimes in the mor∣ning

be the most wholesom thing in the world; then surely, Regulâ contrariorum, by the Rule of Contraries, to play the Sluggard, and to exceed that convenient measure of rest which Nature alloweth, must be, if not the most unwholesom thing in the world; yet one of the most. And this will appear, if we consider the Inconveniences of im∣moderate sleep, as they are described by Physicians.

First, In that the heat being thereby called into the Body, it consumes the su∣perfluous moistures, and then the neces∣sary; and lastly, the solid parts them∣selves, and so extenuates, dries, and ema∣ciates the Body.

And Secondly, It fixes the Spirits and makes them stupid; it hardens the ex∣crements, and makes the Body costive, from whence follow many inconveniences.

Lastly, The brain being therby filled with vapours, the Head-ach is caused, the natural motions of the humours are hindred and stopped, crude phlegmatick juices, and all manner of superfluous hu∣mours are heaped up and increased; whence

flows a notable Spring of distillations, and such like cold, and long continuing dis∣eases. I could add hereunto, what the Patrons and Supporters of Ballance Phy∣sick write, viz. By too much sleep the strength is suffocated, concoction diminished, perspi∣ration hindred, the head, and bowels hurt, &c. D. Sanctor's, and D. Cole's new Art of Physick. But I must not forget my in∣tended brevity.