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 will only  surrender  this  right  to  another  for a very  large  sum  of  money. Yet it  can Scarcely be  said  that  he  created  the  statue, since the  form  of  it  alone  is  the  work  of  his hands, and  not  the  marble  out  of  which  he fashioned  it.

Now, dear  reader,  look  once  more  at  the marvelous work  of  the  universe,  and  all  that it contains;  look  especially  at  man  and  tell me whether  He  who  not  only  made  all  this, but created  it  out  of  nothing,  whether  God Almighty has  not  an  absolute,  unlimited,  and immutable right  of  possession  over  it  all? Must not,  therefore,  the  whole  of  creation  , and especially  man,  who  is  endowed  with reason, serve  and  obey  this  God  as  the  supreme Lord  and  Master  of  all,  and  do  His  will in all  things?

And it  is  this  relation  of  dependence  and subservience in  which  man  stands  to  God. which is  termed  religion.

2. Religion  (from  religare,  "to  bind  back, to  bind  fast")  expresses  the  bond  of  piety by means  of  which  God  has  drawn  man  to Himself,  in  order  that  we  may  serve  Him  as our  master,  and  obey  Him  as  our  father. Man must,  indeed,  serve  God;  that  is,  he  must both do  and  suffer  His  will. But since  man is endowed  with  free  will,  can  he  not  do  whatever he  likes? Most assuredly  not! For his free  will  comes  not  from  himself,  but  is the  gift  of  God. And it  is  impossible  that God can  have  endowed  man  with  free  will  in