Where it was at home it had practical value. You must eat a peck of dirt before you die means, as proverbs often do, two things. An apple a day drives the doctor away is proverbial medical recommendation, and probably a very sensible one, too. Every aspect of life yields general advice, that is to say, proverbs. First come, first served is an old rule about bringing corn to the mill.
Silence gives consent and The king can do no wrong are legal maxims.
From the church we have An honest confession is good for the soul, and modern psychology tells us how wise this advice is and urges us to put it into practice. In daily life we see that A new broom sweeps clean, Too many cooks spoil the broth, and You can't spoil a rotten egg. There is sound counsel in Fish or cut bait and Make friends while you are going up, you may need them coming down. Here are enough examples of the kinds of wisdom found in proverbs, and we are told Enough is enough. It may be an old or a new comment on life and morals, like Beggars must not be choosers, which has a long history, and Poor but proud, which may not be more than a century old.