of the pew rents and collections. But when his services are
really wanted he leaves you in the lurch. You do not need a pilot to
Heaven until you come to die. Then your voyage begins in real earnest.
But the sky-pilot does not go with you. Oh dear no! That is no part of
_his_ bargain. "Ah my friend," he says, "I must leave you now. You must
do the rest for yourself. I have coached you for years in celestial
navigation; if you remember my lessons you will have a prosperous
voyage. Good day, dear friend. I'm going to see another customer. But we
shall meet again."

Now this is not a fair contract. It is really obtaining money under
false pretences. The sky pilot has never been to Heaven himself. He does
not know the way. Anyhow, there are hundreds of different routes, and
they cannot all lead to the same place. Certainly they all start from
this world, but that is all they have in common, and where they end is
a puzzle. To pay money in such circumstances is foolish and an
encouragement to fraud. The best way to pay for goods is on delivery; in
the same way the sky pilot should be paid at the finish.

But how is that to be done? Well, easily. All you have to do is to
address the sky pilot in this fashion--"Dearly beloved pilot to the land
of bliss! let our contract be fair and mutual. Give me credit as I give
you credit. Don't ask for cash on account. I'll pay at the finish. Your
directions may be sound; they ought to be, for you are very dogmatic.
Still, there is room for doubt, and I don't want to be diddled. You tell
me to follow your rules of celestial navigation. Well, I will. You say
we shall meet at Port Felicity. Well, I hope so; and when we do meet
I'll square up."

Of course, it may be objected that this would starve the sky pilots. But
why should it do anything of the kind? Have _they_ no faith! Must all
the faith be on _our_ side? Should they not practise a little of what
they preach? God tells them to _pray_ for their daily bread, and no
doubt he would add some cheese and butter. All they have to do is to
_ask_ for it. "Ask and ye shall receive," says the text, and it has many
confirmations. For forty years the Jews were among the unemployed, and
Jehovah sent them food daily. "He rained down bread from heaven." The
prophet Elijah, also, lived in the wilderness on the sandwiches God sent
him--bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening.
There was likewise the widow's cruse of oil and bar