Charles Spurgeon Commentary Mark 16:17-18

"And these signs shall accompany them that believe: in my name shall they cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall in no wise hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." — Mark 16:17-18 (ASV)

And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

The apostles and the early Christians had these miraculous signs; there was no need for them to be given again. The seal was set upon the gospel at first. A man buys a house, and on the first day when he takes possession, he gets the signature of the seller and the legal seal on the conveyance. That matter is done; if he ever doubts his right to the property, he can always look back to that seal. He does not need fresh sealing wax every five minutes; neither do we need continual miracles.

The Church of Christ at first was like a ship going to sea. The tug takes her out of the harbor, but when she is well out at sea, she no longer needs the tug. She is then dependent on the wind from heaven and so speeds on her way. Or, the Church is like a young tree newly planted in the orchard; it has a stake stuck in the ground beside it, to which it is tied; but when it grows into a strong tree, where is the stake? The tree does not require it, for it stands firm by other means; it is just so with us and the miracles that were needed at first.