Sacrifice And Freedom

Voluntarie sacrificabo tibi. Legis sacrificia, quae in holocaustomatis et oblationibus hircorum atque taurorum sunt, non habent in se voluntatis professionem, quia malediciti sententia legem sit decreta violantibus. Quisquis enim a sacrifcio destitiseet, ipse obnoxium se efficiebat esse maledicto. Necesse ergo erat effici quod foebat: quia sacrificii negligentiam maledicti non admittebat adjectio. A quo maledicto nos Dominus noster Jesus Christus exemit, Apostolo dicente, Christus nos redemit de maledicto legis, factus pro nobis ipse maledictum, quia scriptum est: Maledictus omnis qui pendet in ligno. Maledictorum se ergo obtulit morti ut maledictum legis dissolveret, hostiam se ipse Deo patri voluntarie offerendo; ut per hostiam voluntariam maledictum, quod ob hostiae necessariae et intermissae reatum erat additum, solveretur. Cujus sacrificii alio loco meminit in Psalmis: Hostiam et oblationem noluisti, perfecisti autem mihi corpus; Deo patri legis sacrificia respuenti, hostiam placentem suscepti corporis offerendo. Cujus oblationis beatus Apostolis ita meminit: Hoc enim fecit semel se ipsum offerens hostiam Deo; omnem humani generis salutem oblatione sancae hujus et perfectae hostiae redempturus. Sanctus Hilarius Pictaviensis,Tractatus super Psalmos, Tractatus in Psalmum LIV Source: Migne PL 9 345

'Freely I sacrifice to you.' 1 The sacrifices of the law, holocausts and oblations of goats and bulls, have not in themselves the profession of the will, because the law decrees that they are cursed who are violators of it. Whoever then declines to sacrifice puts himself under a curse. 2 Necessary, therefore, it was that  man do what he did, because the neglect of sacrifice was not permitted. From which curse Our Lord Jesus Christ freed us, with the Apostle saying, 'Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, making himself a curse for us, because it is written: Cursed is everyone who hangs upon a tree.' 3 For the sake of the cursed He thus brought himself to death, that He destroy the curse of the law, freely offering Himself in sacrifice to God the Father, that by a freely given sacrifice He lift the curse, which to necessary sacrifice added the guilt of neglect. Of which sacrifice in another place in the Psalms it is said: 'Sacrifice and oblation you did not wish, you have prepared a body for me.' 4 The sacrifices of the law being rejected by God the Father, a pleasing sacrifice of the body offered is taken up. Of which oblation the blessed Apostle says, 'This He did once offering himself as a sacrifice to God;' 5 acquiring salvation for the human race with this holy offering and perfect sacrifice.' Saint Hilary of Poitiers, Homilies on the Psalms, from Psalm 54 1 Ps 54. 8 2 Deut 27.26 3 Gal 3.13, Deut 21.23 4 Ps 39.7 LXX, Vet Lat 5 cf Hebr 7.27