Contention is as a fire; it heats the spirit, burns up all that is
good, and puts families and societies into a flame. Now here we are
told how that fire is commonly kindled and kept burning, that we may
avoid the occasions of strife and so prevent the mischievous
consequences of it. If then we would keep the peace, 1. We must not
give ear to talebearers, for they feed the fire of contention with
fuel; nay, they spread it with combustible matter; the tales they carry
are fireballs. Those who by insinuating base characters, revealing
secrets, and misrepresenting words and actions, do what they can to
make relations, friends, and neighbours, jealous one of another, to
alienate them one from another, and sow discord among them, are to be
banished out of families and all societies, and then strife will as
surely cease as the fire will go out when it has no fuel; the
contenders will better understand one another and come to a better
temper; old stories will soon be forgotten when there are no new ones
told to keep up the remembrance of them, and both sides will see how
they have been imposed upon by a common enemy. Whisperers and
backbiters are incendiaries not to be suffered. To illustrate this, he
repeats (v. 22) what he had said before (ch. xviii. 8), that the words
of a tale-bearer are as wounds, deep and dangerous wounds, wounds in
the vitals. They wound the reputation of him who is belied, and perhaps
the wound proves incurable, and even the plaster of a recantation
(which yet can seldom be obtained) may not prove wide enough for it.
They wound the love and charity which he to whom they are spoken ought
to have for his neighbour and give a fatal stab to friendship and
Christian fellowship. We must therefore not only not be tale-bearers
ourselves at any time, nor ever do any ill offices, but we should not
give the least countenance to those that are. 2. We must not associate
with peevish passionate people, that are exceptions, and apt to put the
worst constructions upon everything, that pick quarrels upon the least
occasion, and are quick, and high, and hot, in resenting affronts.
These are contentious men, that kindle strife, v. 21. The less we have
to do with such the better, for it will be very difficult to avoid
quarrelling with those that are quarrelsome.