Matthew Poole and continuators on Luke 22:38

38 And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, [illegible: 1 letter]t is enough.

Those who interpret, v. 35, 36. as a Precept of our Saviours imposing a Duty upon his Disciples: or a Counsel concerning the providing Arms which they might use for the protection and defence of themselves, will not only find a difficulty to reconcile their notion of it, to several other precepts, and the Will of God declared by the Apostles practice, who never went about by force, and Arms to defend themselves in the first Plantation and Propagation of the Gospel: but also to Reconcile it to the last Words of our Saviour, who said, when his Disciples told him they had two Swords, It is enough. Which he would never have said, if he had intended any such thing; for two Swords was much too little to have Conquered that Multitude of Adversaries, which the Disciples of Christ were to meet with. Our Saviour doth doubtless speak in a Figure, and all that he intendeth amounteth but to this. Hitherto I have been with you, and you have had my special protection; tho you went out without a Purse, or a Scrip; yet you have wanted nothing; tho you went without a Sword, yet none did you any harm. But the time is now come, when the posture of your Affairs will be much al [illegible: 1 letter]ered; your Friends will be few, your Enemies many, therefore you stand concerned to make as good Preparation as you can do in those things, that are consistent with the general precepts that I have given you. The Tragedy will begin with me; for what is written of him must now be accomplished, Isaiah 53.12. He was numbred amongst the Transgressors; I must be brought before Magistrates as a common Malefactor, and hanged on a Cross betwixt two Thieves. And the things concerning me shall shortly have an end: you will next come upon the Stage, and therefore prepare what in you lyeth for the performance of your part.