John Trapp on Jeremiah 23:28

Ver. 28. The Prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream] Or, let him tell it as a dream, and not as a divine revelation; making more of it then the matter comes to, and Laudans vaenales quas vul obtrudere merces.

What are dreams, ordinarily, but very vanities (Eccleſ. 5.7. with Zech. 10.2.) pleaſant follies and deluſions, the empty bubbles of the mind, children and tales of fancy, idle and fruitleſſe notions, mere bables? why then ſhould men make ſo much of them? why ſhould they tell their Midianitiſh dreams to others with ſo much confidence, as if they were Oracles?

And he that hath my Word] So he be ſure he hath it: and can on good ground ſay I believed, therefore have I ſpoken.

What is the chaff to the wheat? ſaith the Lord;] i. e. What is falſe doctrine to true? ſurely nothing in compariſon: you may better ſet Palea, that is, Chaff, upon it, then the Pope doth upon any thing in the Decrees of his predeceſſours that pleaſeth him not. Sall not the whole body of Popery founded, moſt part of it, upon Revelations and fained Miracles (think the ſame of Rant[illegible: 1 letter]rs, Quakers, and ſome Anabaptiſts) prove Palea, that is, chaff, hay and ſtubble that ſhall be ſurely burnt? 1 Cor. 3.11. Some render the text Quid paleae cum tritico? what hath chaff to do with the wheat? as Hoſ. 14.9. Joh. 2.4. Away with any ſuch mixtures. In the writings of ſome Sectaries, Sunt bona miſta malis, ſunt mala miſta bonis.

The ſpeech in the text ſeemeth to have been Proverbial; and is not unlike that of the Apoſtle, 2 Cor. 6.14, 15, 16. and thoſe in humane Authors, Quid ſceptre & plectro? Suid. Qui specillo & gladio? quid lecytho & ſtrophio? quid hyaenae & cani? quid bovi & delphino? quid cani & balneo? &c. So what communion hath faith and unbelief? zeal and paſſion. &c. And yet unbelief may be with faith (Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief, Mar. 9.24.) zeal with paſſion: yea in young Chriſtians heat and paſſion goeth ſometimes for zeale: and yet it is but chaff; which when blown away, the heap is little elſe but wheat, that is, ſaith, zeal, humility; though we have leſſe pride, paſſion, preſumption. But this by the way only.