So those who are to come who can say in Psalm 34 8, O taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man that trusteth in him. The one who comes to this table says, the Lord is good. God alone is good. We remember the rich young ruler where he says, good teacher. And Jesus says, why do you call me good? No one except for God is good. And Romans 3 says, there is no one good, no not one. So the one that comes to this table realises outside of Christ, outside of grace, that they personally are not morally good. But because they are sinners, they are morally evil. They don't make excuses, they don't say buts and make excuses etc, but they say by nature there is no one that is good, I am not good. Therefore they say the Lord is good. They say, the one I look for justification is faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. He alone is perfectly morally good. He is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners. He went about doing good. He alone is my righteousness by faith alone. And the ones who come to this table have tasted and seen that the Lord is good. That is, they have exercised faith in Christ. They are professing believers of Christ. They've also tasted him, and as they've tasted him, he has done a work in them. There is evidence of Christ in their life. that they hate their sin. They love holiness. They desire the things of God. They are not walking in scandalous sin. They do not possess ignorance, but they know who they have believed and they know why they are coming to this table. They know there is no superstition. They know there is no magic. They know by faith. that when they taste the bread by faith they receive Christ. When they taste the cup by faith they receive Christ. These are the ones who are to come to the table and therefore God invites all who are Christ's who are professing members, who are communicant members in good standing in a true church, says, ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters. And he that hath no money, come ye buy and eat. Yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price. And our table address comes from the Song of Solomon, chapter two, verse three, continuing with the taste theme. As the apple among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the suns. I sat down under the shadow, oh his shadow, with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. The Christian compares Christ to all and says he is head and shoulders above all. There are many sons, There are many people, there are many things seeking our attention, but we know in our heart of hearts when we consider him, he is as an apple tree in the woods. He stands out for his exaltation, his glory, his beauty, his graciousness, his mercy, his loveliness, his compassion, the fruit he possesses and gives. And the believer says, I sat down under his shadow with great delight. The picture here is a scorching hot summer's day in the Middle East. Unbearable heat. And there is this tree with branches and leaves and wide, and it provides a shade for you, and you come under the shadow away from the searing heat. We who are Christ, we've done this too, in our salvation. We were under the scorching heat of God's wrath for our sins, and we saw Christ come in the atonement, and we come under his shadow with great delight in salvation. I mean, it's also a picture of our fellowship. Any time we want to come to Lord Jesus. We come by faith and word and prayer under his shadow with great delight. And as we look at this tree, there is fruit. There's wonderful fruit. What is the fruit? As we've been emphasising recently, the fruit in and of itself are not the benefits of Christ, but Christ himself. We are not going to have fellowship with fruit here. We're having fellowship with the person of Christ, who bears fruit in us, who graciously gives us the benefits, but it flows from the person. And when we think of the fruit of the Spirit, where does this fruit come from? Christ. The Spirit takes the things of Christ and gives us to him. Think of the fruit, it's Christ. This is the fruit we're about to partake of, Christ. He is love, His affection towards us, and all of us can say, He loved me and gave Himself for me. He is joy, His delight to do was the will of Him who sent Him. His joy is to be at this table. He says, with desire, I desire to eat with you. His joy is the fellowship with His people. He is peace who has reconciled us to God in the gospel of peace, who grants peace to us in our souls whenever we need it. My peace I give unto you. He is long-suffering. He bears all our failings. He is patient abundantly with us as he trains us in the school of holiness, gentleness, He is so tender, a bruised reed he shall not break. a smoking flax, he shall not quench. Goodness, he went about doing good, giving good. He will not withhold any good thing from us. Faith, this means faithfulness. He is faithful. All the promises of God and him are yea and amen. Meekness. Though he be exalted, high, king, he is meek and lowly in heart. And therefore we can come to him and have rest for our souls. Temperance. I'll leave that one to yourselves for contemplation. How does Christ show temperance, self-control? But this is the fruit of Jesus Christ. It is Christ. And we have come to taste Him. We have come to taste His fruit. So when that bread enters your mouth and you physically taste the bread, by faith taste Him who nourishes and strengthens you. As your taste tastes the cup, That is Him and His reviving power for you. My friends, He tasted death so that we would taste and see that God is good. Just a very brief exhortation, Matthew 6, 9. After this manner, therefore, pray ye, our Father, which art in heaven. Renew your love in the Father. If you are in Christ, he is your Father. Christ says as he was ascending, my God and your God, my Father and your Father. Always remember who sent the Son, the Father. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. Always remember who elected you. The Father chose you and elected you in Christ. In love, he predestined you. Remember the benediction. It is the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and then it speaks of the Father, the love of God. Renew yourself in the love of the Father. And a practical way to do that is prayer. Go as a child of God and pray to Him and say, Our Father. And have all the confidence in the world that He listens to His children. Renew your love in the Father and renew your prayer in the Father.