As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.
Ver. 2. As the bird by wandering, and the swallow,] i.e., As these may fly where they will, and nobody cares, or is the worse; so here. And as birds tired with much wandering, and not finding where to rest, return again to their nest, after that they have beat the air with weary wing; so the causeless curse returns to the author. Cursing men are cursed men.
So the curse causeless shall not come.] What was David the worse for Shimei's rash railings? Or Jeremiah for all the people's cursings of him? Jer 15:10 Or the Christian churches for the Jews cursing them in their daily prayers, with a Maledic, Domine, Nazaraeis? or the reformed churches for the Pope's excommunications and execrations with bell, book, and candle? The Pope is like a wasp, no sooner angry but out comes a sting; which being out, is like a fool's dagger, rattling and snapping, without an edge. Sit ergo Gallus in nomine diabolorum; a The devil take the French, said Pope Julius II, as he was sitting by the fire and saying his prayers, upon news of his forces defeated by the French at the battle of Ravenna. Was not this that very mouth that "speaketh great things and blasphemies?" Rev 13:5 And - as qualis herus talis servus, like master, like man - a certain cardinal, entering with a great deal of pomp into Paris, when the people were more than ordinarily earnest with him for his fatherly benediction: Quandoquidem, said he, hic populus vult decipi, decipiatur in nomine diaboli: Forasmuch as this people will be fooled, let them be fooled in the devil's name. And another cardinal, when at a diet held at Augsburg, Anno Dom. 1559, the Prince Elector's ambassador was (in his master's name) present at mass, but would not, as the rest did, kiss the consecrated charger; the cardinal, I say, that sung mass being displeased thereat, cried out, Si non vis benedictionem, habeas tibi maledictionem in aeternum: b If thou wilt not have the blessing, thou shalt have God's curse and mine for ever. "Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed, but let thy servants rejoice." Psa 109:28
a Annul. Gallic.
b Bucholcer.