Ernst Wilhelm Buchfelder › Texts

Buchfelder, Ernst Wilhelm, born June 5, 1645, at Bentheim, East Friesland, Hannover. At first lie studied law, but was so much impressed by a sermon he heard at Cassel, in 1672, from Theodor Under-Eyck, that he forthwith began the study of theology at the University of Utrecht, and at the close of his studies, attended for two years on the ministry of Under-Eyck, then pastor of St. Martin's Church, Bremen. In 1678 he became pastor at Glückstadt in Holstein; 1679, rector of the classical school at Emden, in East Friesland; In 1684 preacher and inspector at Budingen, in Wetteravia; in 1687 preacher at Mühlheim on the Ruhr; and finally preacher at Emden, where he died March 8, 1711 (Koch, vi. 14-16; Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie, iii. 478, the latter saying he died May 8). Koch adds:—

"Only one hymn by him has appeared in print, but one of such importance that it may be reckoned a jewel of the Reformed hymnody. It bears the true impress of his inner life and was probably written in that year, 1672, so memorable in his history." It is:—

Erleucht mich Herr, mein Licht. [True and False Christianity.] Included in the Geistreiches Gesang-Buch, Halle, 1697, p. 53, and repeated in Freylinghausen's Gesang-Buch. 1704, No.-245, in 16 stanzas of 7 lines. Also in the Unverfälschter Liedersegen 1851, No. 303. It is translated as:—
O Lord! afford a sinner light. A recast of the 1789 Moravian translation (see below) in 8 stanzas of C. M.— viii. being by T. Bird, 1826—as No. 290 in the Moravian Hymn Book, 1826, repeated, abridged, in J. A. Latrobe's Collection, 1852, No 316.
Other translations are:—
(1) "Enlighten me, my Light," in the Supplement to German Psalmody, edition 1765, p, 35, and Select Hymns from German Psalmody, 1754, p. 63. (2) "O Lord! afford Thy Light," as No. 641 in pt. i. of the Moravian Hymn Book, 1754. In 1789 considerably altered, and in 1826 stanzas viii. and xvi., beginning "The language of true faith," alone retained, (3) "Impart, 0 Lord, Thy Light," by Dr. H. Mills, 1845 (edition 1856, p. 39). [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.]

-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)