View Mark 16 in the note window.
1: (Mt 28:1,Lu 24:1,Joh 20:1).
2: At the rising of the sun - They set out while it was yet dark,
and came within sight of the sepulchre, for the first time,
just as it grew light enough to discern that the stone was
rolled away, (Mt 28:1,Lu 24:1,Joh 20:1).
But by the time Mary had called Peter and John, and they had
viewed the sepulchre, the sun was rising.
3: Who shall roll us away the stone - This seems to have been
the only difficulty they apprehended. So they knew nothing of
Pilate's having sealed the stone, and placed a guard of soldiers there.
7: And Peter - Though he so oft denied his Lord. What amazing
goodness was this!
9: (Joh 20:11).
10: (Lu 24:9,Joh 20:18).
12: (Lu 24:13).
13: Neither believed they them - They were moved a little by the
testimony of these, added to that of St. Peter, (Lu 24:34);
but they did not yet fully believe it.
14: (Lu 24:36,Joh 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, (Mt 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, (Ro 10:18);
and each of them was there known where he preached: the name of
Christ only was known throughout the world.
