Papers of the American Society of Church History http://journals.cambridge.org/PCH Additional services for Papers of the American Society of Church History: Email alerts: Click here Subscriptions: Click here Commercial reprints: Click here Terms of use : Click here Benjamin Schmolck, Author of “My Jesus, as Thou Wilt!” A Monograph Jeremiah Eames Rankin Papers of the American Society of Church History / Volume 6 / January 1894, pp 65 - 78 DOI: 10.1017/S1079902800000747, Published online: 21 September 2009 Link to this article: http://journals.cambridge.org/ abstract_S1079902800000747 How to cite this article: Jeremiah Eames Rankin (1894). Benjamin Schmolck, Author of “My Jesus, as Thou Wilt!” A Monograph. Papers of the American Society of Church History, 6, pp 65-78 doi:10.1017/S1079902800000747 Request Permissions : Click here Downloaded from http://journals.cambridge.org/PCH, IP address: 128.192.114.19 on 30 May 2015 II. BENJAMIN SCHMOLCK BENJAMIN SCHMOLCK,1 Author of "My Jesus, as Thou Wilt! " A MONOGRAPH. BY JEREMIAH EAMES RANKIN, D.D., LL.D., President of Howard University, Washington, D.C. Benjamin Schmolck, the author of the favorite hymn " My Jesus, as thou wilt!", was born in Brauchitsdorf, Silesia, December 21, 1672. It is registered in the Calendar as St. Thomas' Day, and Schmolck says that it often led him, in the troubles of his spirit, to think of the wounded side and the bleeding nail-prints of his Saviour. He was contemporary with a kindred spirit and lyric poet, John Anastasius Freilinghausen, born the same month, though two years later, and dying two years earlier, and on the same day of the month with himself. His father, Martin Schmolck, was for twelve years associate-pastor at Schnieds- berg, where he wedded Rosina Dehmel, daughter of Martin Dehmel. In 1665, the senior Schmolck was made pastor of Brauchitsdorf, Liegnitz, a village of some eight hun- dred inhabitants, where he remained forty-seven years; a man fatherly, faithful, and indefatigable in his office. Benjamin, the hymn-writer, was his fourth child ; and him the father solemnly dedicated to the work of the Christian ministry, baptising him on the fourth day after his birth. Benjamin was bright and talented, though never, as is 1 This paper is derived from a life of the distinguished hymn-writer, by Ludwig Grote, Leipzig, i860. It is partly a translation and partly a condensa- tion. The poet wrote his name without the final "e," although in Knapp's great collection it is spelled differently (Schmolke). 65 66 Benjamin Schmolck. often true in such cases, wayward or prodigal. His mother died on September 4, 1676, when he was four years old, and this made him still more, as his name indicated, the son of his father's heart. Fortunately for little Benjamin, he was received as a pupil, with the Von Rothenkirschen children, of the genuine and conscientious tutor, Peter Paul Wiesner. Between the pupil and this teacher there sprang up an intimacy, which was not interrupted when Wiesner was transferred to Schniedsberg, the birthplace of Benjamin's mother. The pupil followed his teacher, and resided with a widow, who took him under her motherly care. At nine years of age, so talented was he, and so rapid had been his progress, that Benjamin entered the public schools at Steinau, on the Oder. The associate teacher, John George Schubart, gave him free board and lodging, and took special charge of his instruction. Three years later, Benja- min went to the Gymnasium at Liegnitz, where, under Ephraim Heermann and George Maywald, he continued his studies. At fifteen, he determined to remove from Liegnitz to Breslau, where he hoped to find better facilities for fitting himself for the University. Barely had he reached Breslau, when he resolved to go with other youth of the place to Lauban, where was a distinguished schoolmaster and minister, George Wende. There he pursued his further studies with the greatest enthusiasm and success. It was not long before wealthy patrons in Lauban took him into their dwelling and gave him free support, he mean- time also giving instruction to others. After remaining five years in Lauban, he graduated, (ready to repair to the University at Leipzig,) delivering an oration on " The Use of Pagan Books by Christians." Between Lauban and Leipzig, he found time to spend a few days at home. The twelve years of his absence had not corrupted him. He had kept his child-like faith. He went into his father's pulpit, and there gave such a simple testi- mony to God's goodness, and preached with such favor, that his father's patron, Nicolaus Heinrich von Haugwitz, granted him a stipend of three hundred thalers for three Benjamin Schmolck. 6y years ; and later, on the same visit, as he was discoursing on the text, " But I am poor and needy, yet the Lord thinketh upon me," a relative of Herr von Haugwitz, who was in the congregation, was so much moved that he added con- siderably to the above stipend. Thus he was enabled to pass his student-life free from anxiety, and to give himself wholly to his studies. On September 28, 1693, Schmolck reached the University of Leipzig, first giving his special attention for a time, as was then the custom, to secular science, though theology was his ultimate aim. Hardly had he taken his first draught from this fountain when he was completely fascinated; and for the moment he would gladly have abandoned theology for the study of medicine. A fellow-countryman seven years his junior, Christian Wolf by name, had entered the University at Jena, preached a few times, when he was seized with such fondness for mathematics that he finally turned his attention exclusively to natural philosophy, and became very distinguished as a defender of the truth in that department. But Schmolck who, up to this time, had pursued a quiet and even tenor of life, met with the tempta- tion to turn aside from the ministry in such an earnest and devout spirit, that he only became more firmly established in the sacred purpose of his life. To this decision he was helped not a little by his father, who had recorded a vow in heaven as to his profession, and by the memory of his mother, who was the witness there of its reality. Once decided, he gave himself with great assiduity to such lecturers as Giinther, Pritius, Seligmann, Olearus, Rothe, and Schmidte; and he never again wavered, as to duty or inclination. Twice during his University course was he overtaken by sickness, and in his third year the attack was so serious and severe, that he never during his life entirely recovered from its results. His temporary losses in study, however, he soon made up; for his talents were of brilliant order. At this period of his life, that gift for which he was especially endowed began to display itself. He was to 68 Benjamin Schmolck. become second only to Paul Gerhardt as a hymn-writer for that nation, whose hymns, next to the inspired ones of the Hebrews, are the noblest in all literature. At Lauban, indeed, this talent of Schmolck's had not been entirely hid. For George Wende himself and his associate Gottfried Hoffman, like so many other Germans, were both com- posers of hymns. And their example could not be lost upon such a mind as Schmolck's. At any rate, during his Uni- versity course, Schmolck's talents were in such demand for occasional hymns, that it became a source of revenue to him; and by it he was able to add a year to his anti- cipated term at Leipzig. Four years of University life, and then Schmolck was called back to Brauchitsdorf, his native place. His father was seventy years old. There, under his father's eye, he could practice and perfect his powers as a preacher. And four years later, on January 2, 1701, he was appointed to be his father's associate; and having been ordained at Leignitz, he entered with great delight upon his duties. On February 12, 1702, he married Anna Rosine Rehwald, a daughter of Christopher Rehwald of Lauban. This early and auspicious entrance upon the sacred office, his union with the wife of his choice, the prospect of becoming his father's successor, and especially the privilege of sweetening and lightening his father's professional labors; these all combined to make his lot an enviable one, and to fill his heart with joy. Thus established as his father's associate, it for the moment seemed that Schmolck had reached the very sphere for which he was especially fitted ; where he could comfort and help his venerable father, watch over the flock his father had loved, and cultivate the sacred gift of hymn-writing, with which he had been so richly endowed. He was chosen his father's associate, January 2, 1701 ; and on the 12th of December, 1702, when in his thirtieth year, he was elected one of the three pastors of the Protestant Church in Schweid- nitz. It was a great trial to think of leaving his father and his father's work. And there were very many anxieties Benjamin Schmolck. 69 naturally awakened as to the new field of labor. To show what was required of him, we must glance a moment at the history of Protestantism in Silesia. The Reformation was early inaugurated there, and had spread with great rapidity. Ferdinand I. had established his evangelical subjects in Bohemia, Silesia, Moravia, and Lausitz in all their ecclesias- tical rights and immunities. His action had been confirmed by Maximilian II.