John Trapp on John 15:5

Verſe 5. The ſame bringeth forth much fruit.] Chriſt is a generous vine, a plant of renown, and all his, are filled with the fruits of righteouſneſſe, Phil. 1.11. have hearts full of goodneſſe, as thoſe, Rom. 15.14. and lives full of good works, as Tabitha, Act. 9.33. Melch. Ad. in vlia. In Bucholcero vivida omnia ficerunt; vivida vox, vividi oculi, vivida manus, geſtus omnes vividi, Nehemiah never reſted doing good for his people; he was good all over. Like the Aegyptian fig-tree, that bears fruit ſeven times a year: Solin. Polyhiſt. or the Lemmon-tree, which ever and anon ſendeth forth new Lemmons, as ſoon as the former are fallen off.

For without me ye can do nothing.] This is point blank againſt the doctrine of free-will, Sub laudibus natura latent inimici gratia, ſaith Auguſtine. Theſe will needs hammer out their own happineſſe, like the Spider, climbing by a threed of her own weaving, with Motto accordingly, Mihi ſoli debeo. Whereas the Apoſtle demandeth, Who made thee to differ? Greevinchovius the Arminian boldly anſwers, Ego meipſum diſcerno, I make my ſelf to differ. This he had learned from Heathens belike, That we live, Quòd vivamus deorum munu[illegible: 1 letter] eſt, quod bene vivamus, noſtrum. Iudiciū boc omnium mortalium eſt, &c Cic. de nat de Aug. de civit. Dei, l 5. is from God: but that we live well, is from our ſelves, ſaith Seneca. And this is the judgement of all men (ſaith Cicero) that proſperity is to be ſought of God, but wiſdome is to be taken up from our ſelves. St Auguſtine was of another judgement, and ſaith, Ciceronem, ut ſaceret homines liber[illegible: 1 letter]s, ficiſſe ſacrilegos.