Deuteronomy 5:29

Ver. 29. O that there were such an heart in them, &c.— God was pleased with the disposition of fear and reverence which they expressed towards his divine majesty; and, after the manner of men, delivers a most earnest wish, that the same good disposition might always continue, that they might be influenced thereby to a stedfast adherence to their duty, and so both they and their posterity might reap all the blessings promised to a rational and pious obedience. This expression denotes, that men's compliance with their duty, and the happiness which thence arises to them, are things highly pleasing to God, the most sincere lover of souls. From these and the like texts of Scripture, some are apt to reason with themselves, if God be so desirous of men's reformation, why does he not bring it about by his almighty power? Now, though God could easily overrule the liberty of men's will, and restrain them from doing any thing but what is good; yet it is not consonant to wisdom that his power should be exerted this way; because it would entirely destroy all the morality of men's actions, and take away the very nature of virtue and vice. Should God put forth an irresistible influence of his power upon free agents, in that case, however regular their operations might be, they could no more be denominated virtuous, than the movements of a clock or a watch; so far is it, therefore, from being unworthy of God to forbear exerting his irresistible power upon moral agents, that, on the contrary, it would be altogether unworthy of him to exercise that power, because it would be a subverting of his whole design, in creating rational and intelligent beings. Moral agents must be influenced by moral motives, by reason and argument, by persuasion and conviction, by hopes and fears.