Johann Matthäus Meyfart became a teacher, then the superintendent of the Gymnasium in Coburg and eventually Professor of Theology. Later he was a pastor at St. Augustine Church in Erfurt. His main goal was to awaken “sleeping Christianity” by preaching about the Final Days, including the Day of Last Judgement, as described in Revelations.
Johann Matthäus Meyfart was responsible, in 1633, for adding the 9th and final verse to the end of Balthasar Schnurr’s text and melody for the chorale “O großer Gott von Macht” which first appeared in Leipzig in 1632.
One chorale text is still included in the present-day EKG: “Jerusalem, du hochgebaute Stadt.” |