1659-1725

March 6, 1659, Wei­mar, Ger­ma­ny.

July 11, 1725, Wei­mar, Ger­ma­ny.

Son of Ja­kob Franck, fi­nan­cial sec­re­ta­ry at Wei­mar, Sal­o­mo prob­ab­ly stu­died at Je­na, and seems there­af­ter to have held some ap­point­ment at Zwick­au. In 1689 he be­came sec­re­ta­ry of the Schwarz­burg du­cal ad­min­is­tra­tion at Arn­stadt, and in 1697 of the Sax­on ad­min­is­tra­tion and of the con­sis­to­ry at Je­na. In 1702, he was ap­point­ed sec­re­ta­ry of the con­sis­to­ry, li­brar­i­an, and cur­at­or of the duc­al col­lect­ion of coins and me­dals at Wei­mar.

He was a mem­ber of the Fruit­bear­ing So­ci­e­ty, and wrote a con­sid­er­a­ble num­ber of se­cu­lar po­ems. A di­li­gent work­er, he bore se­vere fam­i­ly af­flict­ions; med­i­ta­tions on death are in ma­ny of his hymns. Au­thor of about 330 hymns, his works in­clude:

  1. Ach Gott ver­lass mich nicht
  2. Ach was ist doch uns­re Zeit
    • Oh! What Is Hu­man Life Be­low
  3. Gott, du Licht, das ewig bleib­et
  4. Heil’ger Tisch! Den Je­sus deck­et
    • This Ho­ly Feast, by Je­sus Spread
  5. Ich halte Gott in all­em stille
    • I Leave All Things to God’s Di­rec­tion
  6. Ich weiss, es kann mir nichts ge­sche­hen
  7. Ich weiss es wird mein Ende komme
    • I Know My End Must Sure­ly Come
    • I Know the Doom That Must Be­fall Me
  8. Mein Gott, wie bist du so verb­gor­gen
  9. So ruhest du, o meine Ruh
    • Now to the Tomb Thy­self Art Come
    • Rest of the Wea­ry!
    • So Dost Thou Rest
    • So Rest—My Rest!
    • So Thou Art Resting
    • Thou Who Hast Blest My Soul with Rest
    • Thou Restest in the Tomb Be­neath