Here is, 1. The great mischief-maker, and that is malice. Even where
there is no manifest occasion of strife, yet hatred seeks occasion and
so stirs it up and does the devil's work. Those are the most spiteful
ill-natured people that can be who take a pleasure in setting their
neighbours together by the ears, by tale-bearing, evil surmises, and
misrepresentations, blowing up the sparks of contention, which had lain
buried, into a flame, at which, with an unaccountable pleasure, they
warm their hands. 2. The great peace-maker, and that is love, which
covers all sins, that is, the offences among relations which occasion
discord. Love, instead of proclaiming and aggravating the offence,
conceals and extenuates it as far as it is capable of being concealed
and extenuated. Love will excuse the offence which we give through
mistake and unadvisedly; when we are able to say that there was no ill
intended, but it was an oversight, and we love our friend
notwithstanding, this covers it. It will also overlook the offence that
is given us, and so cover it, and make the best of it: by this means
strife is prevented, or, if begun, peace is recovered and restored
quickly. The apostle quotes this, 1 Pet. iv. 8. Love will cover a
multitude of sins.