Produce is also taxed when entering a city gate for disposal in the market, and is met there by the taxcollector, who takes the tenth. In order to enforce this regulation, soldiers are constantly stationed at the gates, which are surrounded for this purpose with small guard-rooms. I have often seen soldiers, in the light of day, unchecked by "the publican," pilfering from the poor Fellahheen, and silencing their loud and despairing cries with threats and blows. Thus the publicani, the tax-farmers and tax-collectors, and the savage soldiery, may be said to hunt in couples, and between them, to use the expressive language of the Psalmist-the very same which the peasants use of these oppressors to-day-they "eat up My people as they eat bread.” 1

Soldiers act in the East in the capacity of our policemen, their duties being similar to those of the French gens-d'armes, or armed police. Those who act in this way in Palestine are called zabteeyeh. This will explain why in the New Testament soldiers are always said to be employed where we should employ policemen. Thus Jesus was in the custody of soldiers at His trial; and soldiers carried out His crucifixion. They watched Peter in prison; they came to keep order in the Temple, and arrested Paul; they took Paul in custody to Rome; and one kept him in custody when there."

5

Now it is intensely interesting to observe that these 3 John xix. 23, 24. 6 Acts xxvii. 1, 42, 43

1 Ps. xiv. 4; liii. 4. 4 Acts xii. 4, 6, 18.

2 Matt. xxvii. 27-35.
5 Acts xxi. 31-36.

7 Acts xxviii. 16.

"there came also

"publicans" and "soldiers" are just those two classes that the Evangelist Luke represents as coming to that bold and faithful preacher, John the Baptist. The whole of the scene, viewed in this light, is very striking and significant. First, we have John's words addressed to "the multitudes," the Fellahheen, the poor country people, who, it is implied, and no wonder, are in a very impoverished and needy condition, as the result of grinding oppression. When these came to him and said, "What must we do, then?' He answered and said unto them, 'He that has two coats, let him impart to him that has none; and he that has food, let him do likewise.""1 Then, in the very next verses, we are told that tax-collectors (publicani) to be baptized; and they said unto him, 'Teacher, what must we do? And he said unto them, 'Extort no more than that which is appointed you.' And soldiers likewise asked him, saying, 'And what must we do?' And he said unto them, 'Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your pay."" The whole scene is life-like, and one can picture it all taking place again to-day; for a modern John the Baptist would have to use the very same words of exhortation, as to just the same abuses, if he were preaching in Palestine now! The reason why these two classes, "tax-collectors" and "soldiers," alone are mentioned by Luke, out of the multitude of all

1 Luke iii. 10.

2

This is explained by what I have said above of the police, or gendarme, duties of Eastern soldiers.

occupations that crowded to John's baptism, is clearly to show us the power of this fearless and faithful preacher. It is as much as to say, in a very forcible manner, that the vilest and most hardened of men, under John's ministry, were led to newness of life; and it is ever the same when there is a plain, bold handling of sin, and a solemn preaching of repentance, followed, as in this case, by pointing the anxious to "the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world."

FELLAHH IN ABBA, OR OUTER HAIR-CLOAK.
See pages 9, 228, 229.

APPENDIX.

APPENDIX A.

THE FIGURE OF METONYMY.

THE figure of Metonymy, or, as the word means, "change of name," is where one noun is put for another, or a pronoun is put for a noun, or a noun for a pronoun, where there is an intimate and settled relationship between the words thus. exchanged. A few simple examples will best explain the meaning of this definition.

"Woe to

1. The place may be put for its inhabitants. thee, Chorazin! Woe to thee, Bethsaida!" (Matt. xi. 21), where Chorazin and Bethsaida are put for their respective inhabitants, because there is an intimate and settled relationship between a town and its inhabitants.

"Jacob sware by

2. The effect may be put for the cause: the fear of his father Isaac" (Gen. xxxi. 53), where “fear,” the effect, is put for "God," the cause of that holy fear.

3. The leader may be put for his followers, or the teacher for his disciples, or the master for his servants. Thus Jesus says to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan!" (Matt. xvi. 23), where "Satan," who had taught the Apostle to discourage. Christ from suffering, is put for "Peter," who for the time had allowed himself to be instigated by the Evil One. So the Lord Jesus cries, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou

Me" (Acts ix. 4, xxii. 7), where the Saviour is put for His poor, tried followers.

4. The symbol is put for that of which it is the badge. Thus Paul says of the civil magistrate, "he bears not the sword in vain" (Rom. xiii. 4), where "sword" is put for the magisterial authority of which, amongst the Romans, it was so eminently the badge, for, as I have shown on page 284, soldiers amongst that people, in our Saviour's time, answered to our police. Jesus describes Himself as "He that has the key of David" (Rev. iii. 7; see also Isa. xxii. 22; Matt. xvi. 19; Rev. i. 18, ix. 1, xx. 1), where "key" is put for that government and power of which, amongst the Jews, it was the plain symbol, even as it is still throughout the East to this day.

5. The voice may be put for the person speaking. It is no mistake or inaccuracy, as some unacquainted with figures of speech have been tempted to suppose, when John, in the Revelation, says, "I turned to see the voice that spoke to me" (Rev. i. 12), but a bold and beautiful instance of Metonymy, where, because of the settled relationship between the "voice" and the person who utters the voice, the one can thus be put for the other.

Any thoughtful reader after a diligent search, which would prove as profitable as it would be interesting, could probably find for himself no less than forty distinct and delicate varieties of this important figure in the Bible, for it is of very frequent occurrence.

For twelve well-marked species of Metonymy, some of very special importance, with numerous Scriptural examples, the reader is referred to the author's Figurative Language of the Bible, pp. 14-19, 3rd thousand. James Nisbet & Co., 1892. IS.