Section 747
II. The church's fruits are commended from the comprehensiveness of them
She is possessed of "all manner of pleasant fruits." Which may denote, 1. The plenty of them: believers have not only abundance of grace in Christ,, but also abundance in themselves; for "where sin abounded, grace does much more abound;" they have also a fullness of all spiritual blessings in Christ, as well as a plenty of gospel-doctrines, and exceeding great and precious promises. 2. This may likewise denote the variety of them: the graces of the Spirit are many and various; as are the blessings of the gospel, such as redemption through Christ's blood, pardon of sin, justification by his righteousness, adoption, sanctification, etc. so are the doctrines and promises of the gospel, which are all suited to the several cases and circumstances of believers. 3. It also denotes the excellency of them; for here are not only plenty and variety of all manner of fruits, but all manner of pleasant fruits; such as do not grow every where, nor in any garden, but only in the garden of the church; whose "plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits, etc." The allusion, no doubt, is to the most excellent fruits, with which the land of Judea abounded, as apples, figs, dates, pomegranates, etc. the word used includes every precious thing; not fruits only, but gold, silver, jewels, garments, etc.[4236]