Ltmf- 
 
 Duke University Libraries 
 
 D037886964 
 
No. 56. 
 
 A VOICE FROM THE AUSTRIA. 
 
 Tnf burning of the steamship "Austria," of the Hamburg 
 line, bound to New York, will long be remembered as one 
 of the most terrific calamities that has ever spread "sorrow 
 on the sea." A finer day than the 13th of September, 1858, 
 "never broke upon human view." The passengers crowded 
 the deck of the magnificent vessel, and were enjoying the 
 refreshing breeze, some engaged in various games, exercises, 
 and pastimes, and others in cheerful conversation, when in 
 a moment the cry of "Fire!" rang through the ship, and 
 clianged the scene into one of consternation and agony. 
 "Women and men were praying, crying, screaming, rushing 
 frantically about the deck, wherever they were not dwven 
 back by the smoke and flames ; while others stood quietly 
 looking on with a blank vacancy of despair upon their counte- 
 nances, that was even more terrible in its ghastliness and 
 silence than the wildest outcries." Many were suftbcated 
 and burned to death, and hundreds, to escape the llamcs, 
 hurled themselves into the sepulchral waves. Out of six 
 hundred persons oq board, only about fourscore were saved 
 by vessels that came to their rescue. 
 
 On the quarter-deck, after unavailing efforts to save the 
 Bhip and to help others and themselves, there was gathered 
 a little band of eight persons, males and females, all of whom 
 were Christians. Two were theological students, two were 
 clergy roew, and til e rest were in private life. TJg^ following 
 extracts from the correspondence of the lone surflTor of this 
 company of believers, one of the two students of theology, 
 are published with his consent, at the request of the writer 
 of this tract. Tuey are designed to shoav the reality and 
 POWER of the Christian faith, amid scenes which put it 
 FOLLY TO THE TEST. Omitting in print many details which are 
 fsuttiUar to the pttblic, tiie writer says : 
 
2 
 
 "I cannot refuse your request. I am no longer my own, 
 and if my testimony can add augbt to my Saviour's honor, I 
 will not refuse to let you use it at your discretion. It was 
 he who supporterl me during my struggle of four weary hours 
 in the water, and I must not now forget him. 
 
 "After cnde-ivoring to save the sliip and some lives, I left 
 iny friend Mr. Schiebe, whose bodily strength was sgent in 
 his effort of getting from the cabin, lo comfort the poor crea- 
 tures who so much needed consolation. He did his work 
 Aiithfully. After endeavoring to get the hatches down, the 
 boats lowered, and the steamer with its side to the wind, and 
 failing in all, I cut two life-preservers ]oose, one for Ivlr. 
 Schiebe, the other for myself. As I approached him with a 
 life-pie-erver, I heard a f"bmale ask him, 'What can I do?' 
 lie replied, 'Look to Jesus, he is merciful and kind. lie will 
 hear you.' But she replied, 'I. can't pray.' Then he respon- 
 ded, 'I will pray with you;' and he olFered up three or four 
 
 pejtitions for her. At this point Miss came to me in great 
 
 ag^ou}- and asked, 'Is there anydidp?' I answered, 'Put your 
 faith in Jesus.' She sat down overcome, exclaiming, 'I have 
 no strength, no hope.' After this we gathered a small Chris- 
 tian band together on the quarter-deck, and after embracing 
 each other, bid a last farewell. When I came to Miss Becker, 
 she, weeping, said, 'The Saviour, Oh how precious heisV 
 
 "Our little band, after our farewell, went to the side of the 
 vessel, determined to endure as long as posvsible the approach- 
 ing flames, and then to leave the steamer together. Mr. 
 Schiebe saVl several times to me, 'My only Jiope is ia the 
 Saviour;' and then looking at the raging flames and at the 
 distant bark^ he said, 'We may be saved, but I think not. If 
 it^is the Lord's, will, we shall be. Uq knows what is beet.' 
 We g^jlJl^"!" mutual messages to our friends, so that if either 
 were sa^lli, they might be assured ' that they were remem- 
 bered by us in our dying hour. Ho beg':;ed me *to tell his 
 friends that he died Jiappy.' 'Oh, my poor father and moth- 
 er, and my dear Magda too. Let them know that I died 
 happy.' After a few moments we lieard a wild shriek at our 
 feet, and on looking down, saw a poor fellow with his head 
 fast in a porthole, and the flames coming ovex hie ehoulder* 
 
it n . 
 
 ©noircling it., 'TV© must eoon go/ I said to Mr. Schiebe. 
 'Precious bfrother/ he replied, 'farewell ; a few momeate, and 
 we will meet in heaven!' We then both gave the word, 'Let 
 U8 go,' and I jumped intD the water. It was the last I saw 
 of my dear friend. 
 
 "On jumping, I kept my preserver in my hand, vyhirling 
 it over my head to ret<iin my perpendicular in striking the 
 water. On reaching the water I let go my buoy, so as not to 
 injure myself by the strain it would produce in a leap twenty 
 feet down. I suppose I went under the surface of the ocean 
 twelve or twenty feet, and on coming to the surface again, 
 saw my preserver thrown up by a wave sixty or seventy feet 
 ofl and there u-ere two or three parties, ol two or three each, 
 striving to gain it." 
 
 Having secured his buoy, he returned to search for hia 
 friends, but they were gone. Distracted by the shrieks and 
 groans of the dying, whom he could not help, he swam away 
 with the current. He then adds : 
 
 "After swimming about an hour with the sea, I found that 
 all was quiet save the low moaning of the waves. During 
 this time I found the promises fast clustering around me, and 
 felt that Jesus was my elder brother. I repeated that hymn 
 of Wesley's beginning, 
 
 '* 'Jesus, lover of my soul. 
 Let nie to thy bosom fly, 
 While the billows near me roll. 
 
 While the tempest fftill is high. 
 Hide me, my Saviour, hide, 
 Till the storm of life is past ; 
 Safe into the haven guide; 
 Oh receive my soul atla^t.' 
 "For a moment I felt alone, but it was only momentary, 
 for I soon found my Saviour with me. And^such sweet con- 
 eolation to know that God was my friend! I felt that he 
 could not do but what was right. I nevef before could look 
 to my heavenly Father with the same feelings of love that I 
 could to the Saviour. There was always some awe mixed 
 with it. But now I could love each equally. I felt as if 
 
heaven was drawn near me, and glimpes of its glory were 
 
 revealed. 
 
 "liiit soon this state of ecstasy was broken in upon by the 
 stormy petrels which were flying around, and they would 
 strike me in my face with their w^ings, treating me as dead. 
 I wept like a child, it seemed so cruel ; and to leave this earth 
 with such feelings was hard. But the , promise, *My flesh 
 and my heart faileth ; but God is the strength of my heart, 
 and my portion for ever,' Psa. 73: 26, was one of many 
 that chased away my pained feelings and made my spirit 
 again rejoice. 
 
 "I remained in this state for a short time, when I thought 
 that the greatest safety would be near the w^eck, now far in 
 the distance. I swam tCKwards it about an hour, when I be-? 
 came quite exhausted. I then thought that heaven was not 
 far distant. My legs stiffened and were immovable. My 
 arms, as far as above my elbows, were helpless and cold. 
 Chills large and awful were passing up my back, and my 
 heart began to beat irregularly. Oh, I was cold, very cold. 
 I knew death could not be far off; I remembered my friends 
 in prayer; committed them to God^s care, knowing that he 
 would gladly watch over them and bless them. That was a 
 'prayer of faith.' After I finished praying, I said, this life 
 is not worth such struggles, I cannot longer endure it. I bid 
 my soul farewell, repeating those lines: 
 *' 'Happy soul, thy days are ended, 
 All thy mourning days below ; 
 Go, by angel guards attended, 
 To the sight of Jesus go.' 
 
 "The sun was still about two hours high, and gave me some 
 warmth. I turned my face towards it, and I never before 
 was so tha-nkful for any temporal blessing as for the little 
 warmth of that setting sun. 
 
 "Soon I found the struggle getting the mastery and too 
 weak to sustain myself in my buoy-ring, I thought to pass 
 through it to relievo my distress; but then the reflection that 
 it was my duty to endure as long as possible, or else I would 
 be committing suicide, and the natural shrinking from that 
 last struggle, and the longing to let mother know that I died 
 
happy, kept me from death, At this moment I was thrown 
 up by a wave and saw a distant sail. But what good was 
 this? I could not reach it, for I was unable to move, and 
 I remained a few moments in suspense, Suddenly a thrill 
 passed over my system, a revulsion took place, and the blood 
 rushed through my body. I struck out and swam two hours 
 more towards the bark. 
 
 "But Oh, there was a joy and peace within, such as I have 
 never felt before. I did not wish to be saved, for I had friends 
 in heaven as well as on earth. And besides meeting my 
 Saviour, I knew that there was a dear parent there, and I 
 longed to see him in glory ; but he would not grieve over my 
 delay, and I knew that mother would mourn my absence. 
 
 "Then too, I said to myself, as I was advancing towards 
 the distant bark, 'There is some prayer now being answered 
 in my behalf.' Can you doubt it, cousin ? When I came 
 within hailing distance of the vessel, I attempted to make a 
 noise, and could not open my mouth. Oh, what feelings of 
 regret that T struggled so long, to be deceived at last. 'I do 
 not want to stay on this earth longer,' I said ; and I felt like 
 giving up. Still I swam on for a few moments, wh^n I ut- 
 tered a piercing scream that pained my ears, and continued 
 hailing the vessel several times, each time when I was at the 
 bottom of the wave, so that I could be seen as I rose to the 
 top. The boat was soon sent out, and when I was placed 
 within it 1 was unable to move hand or foot, but was per- 
 fectly conscious. When I reached the bark, a rope was put 
 about me and I was drawn upon deck, and there they laid 
 me as helpless as an infant. 
 
 "I asked myself, lias God indeed spared me? and for what? 
 I had hoped to have awaked in heaven, but here I was still 
 on earth ; I almost sighed that I had been taken from those 
 joys, from that ecstasy of feeling which I had in prospect of 
 eternity." 
 
 The value of such an experimental testimony as the foregoing to 
 the reality and (Mvinity of the religion of the cross of Christ is incal- 
 culable. It is among the most powerful of all the Christian 
 evidences. Infidelity can never answer, nor even reason 
 plausibly against his consciousness of the inward force and 
 
6 
 
 glory of oar holy religion. Wit and argtiment, ribaldry and 
 malice, are of no avail to destroy such evidence. Much lefci 
 can unbelief produce results Hke these spiritual experiences 
 in the hour of danger. 
 
 Yet many who are not infidels, particularly physicians and 
 those who are familiar with scenes of sorrow and death, are 
 disposed to cast heavy doubts upon the reality of those mani- 
 festations of grace and glory which are often granted .to the 
 sick and dyiiig. Making all due allowance for the natural 
 effects of weakness, disease, medicines, and mental halluci- 
 nations, we earnestly protest against the spirit which sees 
 little or nothing more than these things in the workings of 
 the grace of God in human souls that &re passing under the 
 rod, or out of this world. 
 
 In this very case it might be attributed to similar causes, 
 to excitement, the known pleasing sensations of death by 
 drowning, and other things. To all such suggestions we op- 
 pose the rescued sufferer's own positive declaration, namely. 
 
 "■There vools no delusion in this experience. It was a matter qf 
 reason and faith, both triumphajit in the peculiar and special pres- 
 ence of a precious Saviour. I have before felt the first sensa- 
 tions of drowning, and know that they were peculiarly pleas- 
 ant, but there was n© drowning here. I -had not swallowed 
 a mouthful of water during my four hours of painful sus- 
 pense ; but it was the coldness of the water that was killing 
 me, and which would produce no such deceitful sensations as 
 those caused by partial drowning. My joys were those fresh 
 and fragrant from heaven. It was Christ and his blesBed 
 attachment to his people that was shown in my case. I 
 never knew that he loved rae so much. 1 never thought that 
 I could 'love him so strongly.' I found in that trying hour, 
 when death was before me on that burning ship, "the excel- 
 lency of the knowledge of Christ.'' I was four hours in the 
 water, but those were four of the most precious hours of my 
 life. Oh, so near my Saviour! I thank God for the privi- 
 lege that I have had of passing through scenes which, though 
 terrible in themselves, have strengthened my faith in him, 
 and given me new views of eternity and eternal things." 
 
 This same witness declares, that in that dreadful hour it 
 
was terrifying to observe the manifestations of ingratitude to 
 God, and to hear the horrible blasphemies of Pome of those 
 who were saved from the wreck. "Some who prayed when 
 the flames were rushing on them, cursed when they were 
 delivered/' He has told us too of the utter despair of multi- 
 tudes in that wild hour, and he has also given us evidence 
 of the peaceful spirits and triumphant deaths of some of his 
 fellow-sufferers. 
 
 He thus describes another scene in this calamity: "On 
 board the Austria there were but few Christians, probably 
 not more than twenty-five. There were some bold, wretched 
 infidels. I saw the boldest and most heaven-defying of them 
 all perish. The da v before the disaster, tracts were distri- 
 buted auiong the passengers, and were kindly received by 
 most of them ; but this man's depravity was not satisfied to 
 receive one and destroy it before our faces, lie stealthily 
 gathered as many as he could from the paspengers, and 
 feasted on his shame that he had destroyed them. He was 
 as bold as a lion when there was no danger near, but when 
 God spoke the following day, he trembled at the alarm and 
 was scarcely able to move. I saw liim go overboard. He 
 threw out his arms as he lay upon his back on the wave; his 
 eyes seemed as if tney would start from their sockets ; the 
 writhings of agony were seen in his features, and as h^ was 
 sinking, the last I saw of him was, iie clenched his hands,, 
 wringing them in agony, and he was just leaving earth for 
 — r- Oh, for what? A moment more, and could we have 
 Flood on the other side of the river «f death, we might have 
 heard the deepairi:ng cry, 'Oh, that 1 had been wise.' I wept 
 when I baw this." 
 
 Corjtrasts like tliese are not to be accounted for by a doubt 
 and a sneer, nor can the gathered hosts of unbelief reason oi' 
 ridicule away this calm and clear testimony of an intelligent, 
 educated, and thoroughly competent witness, who himself, 
 but about four years ago, was an utter stranger and enemy, 
 to God and to these truths. Now he can say, "J believe, 
 therefore do I speak what I have seen and heard and known 
 and felt." 
 
 Study this narrative. It showa 'Hhe txcellmcy ^ihe hiowl- 
 
8 
 
 cd^e of ChrisW "Unto you therefore whicb believe, he is 
 precious/' 
 
 It shows ilvc power of the Christian faith to sustain a soul in the 
 most sudden and severe calamities, producing entire submission to 
 Providence, and turning sorrow into a joy for ever. 
 
 It teaches the exceeding greatness and preciousness of the blessed 
 promises of the Bible, and the faithfulness of Him who hath promi- 
 sed. 
 
 It illustrates the necessity, the comfort, the power, the grace of 
 prayer. Hundreds prayed then, and wanted others to pray 
 for them, who seldom or never prayed before. A few of 
 them at least "entered heaven with prayer," and some of the 
 survivors, like this brother in Christ, know as they never 
 knew before what that meaneth, "Call upon me in the day 
 of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me." 
 
 Do YOU PRAY ? 
 
 It exemplifies the value of trial as a test of the strength and 
 beauty of our Christian faith both in life and in death. 
 
 It brings you face to face with eternal things, and constitutes a new 
 and jyoiverful appeal for you to give all diligence to ''make your 
 calling and election sure." 
 
 Your ears still ring with these voices of sorrow from the 
 sea. * Sudden death, sudden glory," said a dying saint of a 
 dead generation. But would it be such to you, my impeni- 
 tent friend ! 
 
 "Be ye therefore ready ; for the Son of man cometh at an 
 liour when ye think not." "Watch; for ye know not^iwhat 
 hour your Lord doth come." 9 
 
 "Strive to enter in at the strait gate; for many, I say unto 
 you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." 
 
 "Repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted 
 out when the times of refreshing shall come from the pres- 
 ence of the Lord." "He is able to save unto the uttermost 
 all that come unto God by Him, seeing he ever liveth to make 
 intercession for them." 
 
 Sinner, come to Jesus. "Now is the accepted time; now 19 
 the day of salvation." We know nothing about io-mon'oiv. 
 Now; now, NOW. Perhaps now or never 1 
 
 PREPARE TO MEET THY GOD. 
 
Hollinger Corp. 
 pH 8.5