THE UNWORTHY COMMUNICANT WARNED - Robert Murray Mcchene

“For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.”—1 Cor. xi., 29, 30.

WHEN it pleased God lately to pour out his Spirit in a remarkable manner on one of the parishes of Scotland, I was told by the minister that the sin that took deepest hold upon the consciences of the people, was the sin of unworthy communicating. He told me it was a most affecting sight, to see aged persons of threescore-and-ten sitting weeping over the broken sacraments of bygone years. If it shall please God to pour out his Spirit on the grown-up part of this congregation, I feel deeply persuaded that this dreadful sin of unworthy communicating will be like a mill-stone around most of your necks. Yes, my dear friends, God has a controversy with you about this matter, and he will either plead with you in time or in eternity. 3

1. There is such a thing as eating and drinking unworthily. Even in the days of the Apostle Paul this sin existed; and so it does in our day. There are many at the Lord’s table who should not be there. There are many who come without the wedding garment—many who displease and provoke God by coming— many who will repent it to all eternity.

2. They get no good by it, but great evil. They eat and drink damnation to themselves. They think they are eating harmless bread and wine; or perhaps they think they are covering the sins of the past six months by eating; whereas God says they are eating and drinking damnation to themselves. It is as if they were eating poison.

3. He explains wherein their unworthiness consists: They do not discern the Lord’s body. The phrase here used is evidently taken from the sense of taste in the human body, whereby we discern between different kinds of food. To discern the Lord’s body, is to have a peculiar taste or relish for the way of salvation by Christ and him crucified. When a heavy laden sinner feels the power of the Gospel

when he sees the sweetness, freeness, and fulness of Christ, he then tastes or discerns the Lord’s body. But those who have not come to Christ, have never got this taste, this relish for the way of salvation by Christ. They may be very decent, goodnatured peopl —they may read the Bible, and keep up a form of godliness; but they have never tasted the honey in the clefts of the Rock. These are they who profane the Lord’s table.

I. None should come to the Lord’s supper but those who discern the Lord’s body—i. e., have a true relish for Christ.

1. From the actions of the communicant. You do not come to look at the bread and wine, but to feed upon them. You stretch out the hand, and take of the bread and eat it; you take the wine and drink it. Now, since that bread and wine represent the Lord’s body, it is plain to a child, that the meaning of that action is: “I relish the Lord Jesus Christ. He is my manna—my sweet food— my only way of pardon, peace, and holiness—my Lord and my God.” When a hungry beggar comes to your door, and you give him a piece of wholesome bread, how gladly does he catch at it, and begin to eat it! Why? Because he relishes it; it is what he requires. Such is your feeding at the Lord’s table. You thereby declare that Christ is your Saviour— your manna—your all. When the man found the treasure in the field, he was glad, and went and sold all that he had and bought that field. Such is your

declaration in coming to the Lord’s table: Christ is precious to me; I have left all for him. The bride in the Song of Solomon says: “As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.” So do you say in coming to the Lord’s table: I have found rest in the shade of Christ—his fruit is sweet to me—his way of pardon, his Spirit, his commands—all are sweet to my taste. When the maniac had the devils cast out, he sat at the feet of Jesus clothed, and in his right mind. Once he bade Jesus depart: “What have I to do with thee?” Now Christ is all. Such is your declaration at the Lord’s table. When Paul was an unconverted man, he was a blasphemer—he breathed out threatenings; but when he got a taste of Jesus, he said: “I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.” Such is your declaration in taking that bread and wine.

Can you truly say that you have found the treasure—that you have sold all for it—that you have sat down under the shade of that apple tree, and that you delight in his holy fruit; that you were once far from Christ, but now sitting at his feet—that you now preach the faith which once you destroyed—that, like Paul, you glory only in the cross of Christ? Can you say, in the sight of God, that Christ is your manna, your sweet food, your peace— your all? Then you are welcome to the Lord’s table. Eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.

Most of you cannot say this. You have not found the treasure Will you come to the Lord’s table? To what purpose? You will eat and drink unworthily. It will provoke God in a dreadful manner. You will repent it when you die. You will grieve on account of it to all eternity. Some even perpetrate in half an hour what they will mourn for ever and ever. Judas, in eternal torments, bewails his sin and folly. So will you.

2. From the words of Jesus: “This do in remembrance of me.” An unconverted man cannot remember Christ; for he hath never seen him, neither known him. A man who never tasted honey, cannot remember the taste of it; so a man who never had a saving taste of the sweetness of the Lord Jesus, cannot possibly remember him. Indeed, there is a kind of remembrance of Christ that any man may have. You may remember the events of his life—that he was born in a stable—that he walked on the Lake of Galilee —that he wept over Jerusalem—that he prayed in Gethsemane—that he died on the cross in Calvary; but even the devils can remember Christ in this way. They remember all his history much more perfectly than we do. Satan has more knowledge of divine things than many doctors of divinity. And lost souls in eternal misery remember Jesus; they remember all he did, and all he suffered, and how often he would have saved them. Judas, in his place in hell, remembers Jesus. But, ah! this is not the saving remembrance of Jesus which we have at the Lord’s table.

“When a labouring, heavy laden sinner is brought to the feet of Jesus, he finds a joy and peace in believing he never felt before. He gets a discovery of the love of Christ that he never had before; the love of Jesus in coming for the ungodly, and dying for them; the freeness of Christ to every creature—to sinners, even the chief—to publicans and sinners coming to him; the wisdom and excellency of this way of salvation—the amazing glory and perfection of the righteousness of God. When the Spirit thus takes the veil from the eyes, he gets a sight of Christ which he never will, and never can forget. This is the spiritual relish and discerning of the Lord’s body. Every new exhibition of Jesus calls up again this sweet sense of his goodness and beauty. He cannot hear his name but his heart is caught away to him. His name is like ointment. When ministers preach his Word, the memory rushes back to Jesus; and when the broken bread and wine are set before his eyes, his heart is drawn away to remember Jesus. As when the widows stood by Peter weeping, showing the coats and garments that Dorcas had made, every new piece of handiwork of their departed friend called up fresh love in their bosom, and fresh tears to their eyes. So to those that know Jesus, the broken bread and poured-out wine stir up their inmost souls to remember Jesus.

Have you this sanctified memory? Do you remember when the name of Christ was all a blank to you? and is it now like ointment poured forth? Do you remember when first you saw the Lord, or if not the very time, do you feel the amazing change that has been wrought in you? Then welcome— “This do in remembrance of me.” But most, I fear, have no such memory. You have no gracious discovery of Christ to remember. You have never discerned the Lord’s body. You say you will remember his life and death. Why, devils could do that. Would it not shock you to see devils seated at the Lord’s table? and yet they have as much right to sit there as unconverted souls.

3. From the practice of the apostles. One example: The Ethiopian eunuch was ” a man of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, and had the charge of all her treasure.”—Acts viii. 27. By the amazing grace of God this man became concerned about his soul—a Bible had come in his way, and perhaps some wandering messenger of mercy. He could not rest, but left his country to go to Jerusalem. There he found no peace—no light. Sad and weary he proceeded on his journey home. Still his heart was heavy; he sat reading Isaiah the prophet. By the mercy of God, Philip was sent to him, and in his chariot preached to him Jesus, the Lamb of God. O what a new world now opened to the Ethiopian! He sees the way of righteousness without works. Now they come to water: “What doth hinder me to be baptized? If thou believest with all thine heart thou mayest.

I believe that Jesus is the Son of God. So they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him; and he went on his way rejoicing.” Is this your experience, beloved? Have you sought Christ as he did? Have you found him as he did? Do you believe with all your heart? Then the Lord’s table is open to you, and you will go on your way rejoicing.

But, ah! it is not so with most. If some of you had been keeper of Candace’s treasures, you would not have gone the length of the street to find the way to be saved. Some of you never read your Bible as that Ethiopian did—never sought instruction. You dare not say that you have believed with all your heart. Why, then, would you sit down at this holy table? You may come; but, alas! you will not go on your way rejoicing.

II. It is very dangerous.

1. They are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. There is no sin less thought of on earth—there is no sin more thought of in heaven and in hell, than unworthy communicating. Those who commit it are sharing with those who betrayed and murdered the Lord Jesus. They share with them in two respects.—(1.) In

pretending love and friendship toward him; (2.) In real hatred to him in their hearts, and contempt for his Gospel. When Judas betrayed the Lord Jesus, he pretended great love for him. He had followed him during all the years of his ministry—had preached in his name. He sat very reverently at the Lord’s table—dipped his hand in the same dish with Christ. His words were smoother than butter; but war was in his heart. ‘When he came to betray Christ he said: “Hail, Master!” and kissed him; yet all the while there was awful hatred in his heart—a deadly enmity at Christ and his Gospel.

So the high priests and Pharisees pretended great zeal for God and for his cause—they pretended to be very sanctified and holy men; and yet they hated and condemned Christ to die. The soldiers of Herod pretended great respect to Christ, when they kneeled to him and said: “Hail, King of the Jews!” but all the time they mocked and hated him. Pilate pretended much to be a friend of Christ: he washed his hands, and said: “I am guiltless of this innocent blood;” and yet he condemned him to be crucified.

So it is with unworthy communicants. You come to the Lord’s table with a great show of respect. You appear deeply solemnized. You take the bread and wine, pretending that you have been converted—that Christ is your portion. You appear to be under deep emotion. Yet all the while you despise Christ and his people—ridicule conversion, and the life of grace. “Woe unto that man! it had been good for him that he had never been born.”

You have the same heart as Judas, as the high priest, as the soldiers, as Pilate. You are guilty.

2. Eat and drink judgment. This is true in two ways. (1.) It is adding another sin—heaping another mountain on the burdened soul, and so bringing heavier condemnation —sinking the soul deeper. (2.) It is always hardening— all sin hardens, but especially sinning in holy things. One who makes jests out of the Bible is hardly ever saved, it is so hardening. But of all sins against holy things, unworthy communicating is the most hardening; so that an. unconverted man communicating does often literally eat and drink damnation to himself. Just as a child of God drinks life, so he drinks death, out of that cup.

Some of you may be saying: Though I be unconverted, I will go; for though it do me no good, it will do me no harm. Is it no harm to add another sin to your soul? Is it no harm to harden and seal your heart unto perdition? Is it no harm to eat and drink judgment to yourself?

Some may be saying: I hope I shall cover the sins of my past six months by it. Some of you, who have only been once or twice at church all that time, will be saying: I will make up for past neglect, and cover my sins. Will it cover your past sins, to add another to the heap? Will it atone for your broken Sabbaths, to come and profane the sacrament too? Will it cover sins to eat and drink judgment?

3. Many weak and sickly, and many sleep. There are some sins which God visits with temporal judgments, as weakness of body, sickness, and death. When Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Ghost, they fell down dead at the apostle’s feet. When Herod gave not God the glory, he was eaten up of worms, and died upon his throne. So it is especially in profaning the Lord’s table. This is God’s word, who knows best: “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.” The Lord Jesus, the master of the table, has all providences in his hand, and he can, and does, make use of them to bring down those who insolently profane his table. Just as God has provided a real hell of material fire that never will be quenched, in order to affect some gross sinners, who would not be moved to flee from anything but bodily pain; so in the Lord’s supper it pleases God to make use of sickness and death to keep off profane hands from that bread and wine. I have often observed God doing this. I remember three deaths which took place in such a way and at such a time, that I could not doubt it was the fulfilment of this verse. Watch and see, beloved!

Take heed, then, O beloved, lest when the bread is in your mouth you should fall down dead. Ah! it is an awful thing to die profaning the Lord’s table; for you will sink lower than the grave.

“Therefore, let a man examine himself.” What are your real motives for coming to the Lord’s table? Is it because you are come to a certain time of life ?—But are you born again? Is it because your family are coming? Is it for a name? Is it for money? Ah! Judas over again. Is it to get baptism for your child? That is to commit one sin to help you to commit another.

Is it to praise him for what he has done for your soul? —Ps. cxvi. Is it to show the world whom you have chosen? Is it to get near to Jesus? Come, then, and lean on his breast, and never draw back. Amen.

Dundee, 1841.