Schmolck, Benjamin, son of Martin Schmolck, or Schmolcke, Lutheran pastor at Brauchitschdorf (now Chrostnik) near
Liegnitz in Silesia (now Poland) was born at Brauchitschdorf, Dec. 21, 1672. He entered the Gymnasium at Lauban in 1688,
and spent five years there. After his return home he preached for his father a sermon which so struck the patron of the
living that he made Benjamin an allowance for three years to enable him to study theology. He matriculated, at
Michaelmas, 1693, at the University of Leipzig, where he came under the influence of J. Olearius, J. B. Carpzov, and
others, and throughout his life retained the character of their teaching, viz. a warm and living practical Christianity,
but Churchly in tone and not Pietistic. In the autumn of 1697, after completing his studies at Leipzig (during his last
year there he supported himself mainly by the proceeds of occasional poems written for wealthy citizens, for which he
was also, crowned as a poet), he returned to Brauchitzchdorf to help his father, and, in 1701, was ordained as his
assistant.
On Feb. 12, 1702, he married Anna Rosina, daughter of Christoph Rehwald, merchant in Lauban and in the end of the same
year was appointed diaconus of the Friedenskirche at Schweidnitz in Silesia. As the result of the Counter-Reformation
in Silesia, the churches in the principality of Schweidnitz had been taken from the Lutherans, and for the whole
district the Peace of Westphalia (1648) allowed only one church (and that only of timber and clay, without tower or
bells), which the Lutherans had to build at Schweidnitz, outside the walls of the town; and the three clergy attached
to this church had to minister to a population scattered over some thirty-six villages, and were moreover hampered by
many restrictions, e.g. being unable to communicate a sick person without a permit from the local Roman Catholic
priest. Here Schmolck remained till the close of his life, becoming in 1708 archidiaconus, in 1712 senior, and in 1714
pastor primarius and inspector. Probably as the result of his exhausting labours he had a stroke of paralysis on
Laetare (Mid-Lent) Sunday, 1730, which for a time laid him aside altogether, and after which he never recovered the use
of his right hand. For five years more he was still able to officiate, preaching for the last time on a Fastday in 1735.
But two more strokes of paralysis followed, and then cataract came on, relieved for a time by a successful operation,
but returning again incurably. For the last months of his life he was confined to bed, till the message of release came
to him, on the anniversary of his wedding, Feb. 12, 1737. (Koch, v. 463; Bode, p. 144; Goedeke's Grundriss, vol. iii.,
1887, p. 306; sketch prefixed to Ledderhose's edition of Schmolck's Geistliche Lieder, Halle, 1857, &c.)
Schmolck was well known in his own district as a popular and useful preacher, a diligent pastor, and a man of wonderful
tact and discretion. It was however his devotional books, and the original hymns therein contained, that brought him
into wider popularity, and carried his name and fame all over Germany. Long lists of his works and of the various
editions through which many of them passed are given by Koch, Bode and Goedehe. It is rather difficult to trace the
hymns, as they are copied from one book of his into another, &c. Schmolck was the most popular hymnwriter of his time,
and was hailed as the "Silesian Rist," as the "second Gerhardt," &c. Nor was he altogether unworthy of such praise. It
is true that he did not possess the soaring genius of Gerhardt. Nor had he even Gerhardt's concise, simple style, but
instead was too fond of high-sounding expressions, of plays upon words, of far-fetched but often recurring contrasts,
and in general of straining after effect, especially in the pieces written in his later years. In fact he wrote a great
deal too much, and latterly without proper attention to concentration or to proportion. Besides Cantatas, occasional
pieces for weddings, funerals, &c, he is the author of some 900 hymns, properly so called. These were written for all
sorts of occasions, and range over the whole field of churchly, family, and individual life. Naturally they are not all
alike good; and those in his first three collections are decidedly the best. A deep and genuine personal religion, and
a fervent love to the Saviour, inspire his best hymns; and as they are not simply thought out but felt, they come from
the heart to the heart. The best of them are also written in a clear, flowing, forcible, natural, popular style, and
abound in sententious sayings, easily to be remembered. Even of these many are, however, more suited for family use
than for public worship. Nevertheless they very soon came into extensive use, not only in Silesia, but all over Germany.
Source: https://hymnary.org/person/Schmolck_Benjamin
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