I. IT is one principal article of our religion to believe that our blessed Saviour is now at the right hand of God, there making _perpetual intercession_ for us, till the redemption of mankind is finished. Prayer therefore is undoubtedly a proper means of drawing near to God; since he who has conquered sin and death, who is Lord of all, is yet as the _great advocate_ for sinners, obliged to make perpetual intercession for them. Whenever therefore we are in the spirit of prayer; when our hearts are lifted up to God, breathing out holy petitions to the throne of grace, we have this encouragement to be _constant_ and _fervent_ in it, that we are then joining with an intercession at the right hand of God, and doing that for ourselves on earth which our blessed Saviour is perpetually doing for us in heaven. This reason of prayer is perhaps not much considered; yet it certainly contains a most powerful motive to it. For who that considers his redemption as now carrying on by an _intercession_ in heaven, can think himself so rightly employed as when the constancy of his own prayers bear some resemblance to that never-ceasing intercession which is made above? This shews us also, that we are most of all to desire those prayers which are offered up at the _altar_, where the body and blood of Christ are joined with them. For as our prayers are only acceptable to God through the merits of Jesus Christ; so we may be sure it is the most prevailing prayer, when we thus pray in the name of _Christ_, and plead his merits in the _highest manner_ we can. II. Devotion may be considered either as an exercise of public or private prayers at set times and occasions; or as a temper of the mind, a state and disposition of the heart, which is rightly affected with such exercises. Now external acts of devotion, are like other external actions, very liable to falseness, and are only so far good as they proceed from a right disposition of heart. Zealous professions of _friendship_ are but hypocrisy, unless there be an equal zeal in the heart; and so solemn prayers are but repeated hypocrisies, unless the heart be _conformable_ to them. Since therefore it is the heart only that is devout, I shall consider devotion chiefly in this respect, as it is a _state_ and _temper_ of heart; for it is in this sense only that _Christians_ are called to a _constant state_ of devotion. They are not to be always upon their knees; but they are to be always in the state of devotion.