VOLUNTARY. In Scripture, Voluntarius is generally put for one that willingly undertakes to do any thing; that of his own mere motion, and only prompted by his own Zeal, attempts any thing for the Glory of God: Omnis voluntarius & prono animo offerat primitias Domino: Let Exod. xxxv. 5.every one offer voluntarily, and with a chearful Mind, what he intends to offer to God. And elsewhere; Voluntaria oris mei Psalm xix. 108.beneplacita fac Domino: The Vows which I have made willingly; or, the Praises which I give Thee, by the mere Motion of my own Heart. And Amos says, Vocate Amos iv. 5.voluntarias oblationes: The Alms collected by Sound of Trumpet, the voluntary Offerings, the pacifick Sacrifices, which were to be offered to the Lord. And St. Paul says; the Churches of Macedonia were liberal beyond their Ability. Supra 2 Cor. viii. 3.virtutem voluntarii fuere.
The Psalmist says; Pluviam voluntariam Psal. lxvii. 10.segregatis, Deus, hæreditati tuæ: Thou hast appointed for thy People a voluntary, a liberal, an abundant Rain. This may be understood of the Manna which God caused to fall in great abundance upon his People in the Wilderness; And Psal. liii. 8.elsewhere, Voluntarie sacrificabo tibi: I will offer Thee a Thanksgiving, a pacifick Sacrifice. See Levit. iii. 1, 2, 3, &c. Genesis xxviii. 22. Heb. x. 26.And St. Paul: Voluntariè peccantibus nobis, post acceptam notitiam veritatis, jam non relinquitur pro peccatis hostia. In the old Law, the Sacrifices for the Expiation of Offences committed against the Ceremonies of the Law, were repeated as often as those Offences were committed. But under the New Law, those that fall voluntarily and wilfully into great Crimes, are not to expect that Jesus Christ will come to die for them again: He died but once, and is not to die any more. Those that fall into the Commission of great Crimes, ‘tis true, may always hope for Pardon, if they have recourse to the Remedy of Repentance; but this Remedy and this Return are not easy to be had. They are of a very different Nature from Baptism, which is to be received no more than once. By those voluntary Crimes mentioned by St. Paul, many understand final Impenitence, Hardness of Heart, Despair of Mercy, or the Sin against the Holy Ghost. For this the Commentators may be consulted.