14 Lu 24:36; John 20:19. 15 Go ye into all the world, and preach
the Gospel to every creature - Our Lord speaks without any limitation or
restriction. If therefore every creature in every age hath not heard it,
either those who should have preached, or those who should have heard it,
or both, made void the counsel of God herein. Mt 28:19.
16 And is baptized - In token thereof. Every one that believed was baptized.
But he that believeth not - Whether baptized or unbaptized, shall perish
everlastingly.
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe - An eminent author
sub - joins, "That believe with that very faith mentioned in the preceding
verse." (Though it is certain that a man may work miracles, and not have
saving faith, Matt 7:22,23.) "It was not one faith by which St. Paul was
saved, another by which he wrought miracles. Even at this day in every
believer faith has a latent miraculous power; (every effect of prayer being
really miraculous;) although in many, both because of their own littleness
of faith, and because the world is unworthy, that power is not exerted.
Miracles, in the beginning, were helps to faith; now also they are the
object of it. At Leonberg, in the memory of our fathers, a cripple that
could hardly move with crutches, while the dean was preaching on this very
text, was in a moment made whole." Shall follow - The word and faith must
go before. In my name - By my authority committed to them. Raising the
dead is not mentioned. So our Lord performed even more than he promised.
18 If they drink any deadly thing - But not by their own choice. God
never calls us to try any such experiments.
19 The Lord - How seasonable is he called by this title! After he had
spoken to them - For forty days. Lu 24:50.
20 They preached every where - At the time St. Mark wrote, the apostles
had already gone into all the known world, Rom 10:18; and each of them
was there known where he preached: the name of Christ only was known throughout
the world.
