—BY— Rev. R. C. Ransom, B. D. CLEVELAND, OHIO. Thomas & Mattill , Printers. 1894....

The first four chapters of this booklet comprise a series of Sunday evening lecture sermons delivered in St. John's A. M. E. Church, Cleveland, Ohio, in the month of April, 1894. They are published at the urgent request of scores of persons who heard them delivered. They were delivered extemporaneously, as all my sermons are, and appear here as they were taken down by the stenographers. No revision has been attempted. The intelligent reader will readily detect many imperfections both in matter a

"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light." 1 Peter 2:9. I begin this evening a series of Sunday evening lecture sermons, with a definite purpose in view, which I hope to develop and make more clear, as I shall proceed with their delivery. The subject to-night is "Race Soil." As a basis or foundation upon which to stand, we call your attention to

"Ye shall go over and shall possess that good land."— Deut. 4. 22. To-night I come to you with an interrogation: "Are we able to go up and possess the land?" I have taken a text which you will find in the 22nd verse of the 4th chapter of Deuteronomy: "Ye shall go over and shall possess that good land." These are the words of the Law-giver of Israel to the people of Israel. We have simply taken this as a foundation or as a basis upon which to stand, while pointing you to the things we have brough

The lion did tear in pieces enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his holes with prey, and his dens with ravin. Nahum 2, 12. In speaking to you, under the general topic for two weeks past, "The disadvantage and opportunities of the colored youth," my purpose has been to give inspiration and courage. We talked to you first from the topic under this head, "Race Soil." Last Sunday night we spoke to you from the topic, "Shall we be able to go up and possess the land?" To

And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs. And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land. Num. 13:23, 26. I come to you to-night my friends, to

Before man made us citizens, great nature made us free.— Lowell. I must have liberty, withal as large a charter as the wind, to blow on whom I please.— As You Like It. Mr. Toastmaster and Gentlemen : Three great sea voyages have had greater influence upon the history and progress of the human race than any event which has happened since the birth of Christ. The history of these voyages and their consequences is the history of our country. Columbus, the inspired mariner of Genoa, with a sublime c