Frederick Baedeker was born in Germany in 1823. He was weak physically all his life, yet he lived to be 83 years old. God had a special work for him to do, and Scripture says, “As thy days so shall thy strength be.”
In his early years Frederick was a proud infidel. After some years in the German army he settled in England. One evening when he was 43, some friends persuaded him to attend a meeting in which Lord Radstock spoke. Frederick had planned to leave the minute the meeting was over, but before he could get out the door, he felt the hand of Lord Radstock laid on his shoulder.
“God has a message for you tonight,” he told Frederick. “Come with me into the next room.” Frederick followed, and there Mr. Radstock spoke to him earnestly of his need of salvation and of the claims of Christ. Frederick bowed before those claims of love, and when he came out of that room, he was a humble believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.
From that night until the day of his death Dr. Baedeker did not cease to teach and preach Christ as the only Saviour and His redemption as God’s remedy for sin. He began in the villages near his home. Then he traveled through Germany, Bohemia, Poland, Moravia and Switzerland, preaching the gospel.
The poor prisoners in Russia were laid especially on his heart, and he traveled all over Russia and Siberia visiting the jails and prison camps. His heart was filled with the love of God for those poor men. No matter what opposition he met, or what perils or discomforts he suffered in long hard cold journeys, he was faithful in giving the gospel to the men in chains and behind bars.
When they stood in their heavy chains before Dr. Baedeker, he knew that some of them would soon start on the awful march to Siberia. He tenderly told them of the Saviour who loved them and died to save them. He could not set them free from their chains, but he could tell them of One who could set them free from the burden of their sins and from Satan’s power. Furthermore, by His death He had opened up heaven to all who had faith to believe.
On one occasion when he was in Finland he spoke to the prisoners there. A professor interpreted for him. The men listened respectfully but seemed unmoved by the message. Dr. Baedeker wondered why. When he visited Finland a second time, he spoke to those prisoners again, but this time a sweet young lady, a baroness, interpreted for him. There was a striking change in the expressions of the men. Many eyes were filled with tears as they listened to the message of the Saviour’s love.
“Why such a change in the prisoners today as compared with my last visit?” he asked the officer in charge. The officer replied: “When you spoke the first time and you addressed the men as ‘my beloved friends’ or ‘my brothers,’ the interpreter translated your words as ‘men’ or ‘prisoners.’ But the lady today interpreted your words as you spoke them ‘my beloved friends’ and ‘my brothers.’ " There was love expressed in these words and it reached the hearts of these poor souls.
Dr. Baedeker also visited the dreadful island of Saghalien which is surrounded by an icy sea. Prisoners sent there spend the rest of their days in hard labor. With no hope of release the men were desperate. Dr. Baedeker told them of the pardon for sin, the joy and the peace which the Lord Jesus can give to those who trust Him. He told them of the home in glory the Saviour has prepared for all those that love Him. Many of the prisoners were deeply moved as they looked at the kind face of the tall man and heard his hope-bringing words. Many of them answered his plea to accept the Saviour. No doubt many will meet him again on the clouds of glory when the Lord comes to gather His redeemed ones all home to heaven.
Just before he died Dr. Baedeker said, “I am going to see the King in His beauty!” And so shall all even now who own Him as Lord and Saviour.
ML-07/15/1979