Introduction

Biography

Having stu­died theo­lo­gy at Wit­ten­berg, Mentz­er was in 1691 ap­point­ed pas­tor at Merz­dorf; in 1693 at Haus­walde; and in 1696 at Kem­nitz.

He was a great friend of J. C. Schwed­ler, of Hen­ri­et­ta Ca­the­rine von Gers­dorf, and of N. L. von Zin­zen­dorf, all hymn-writ­ers, and all his near neigh­bors. He him­self was great­ly tried in the fur­nace of af­flic­tion.

He wrote a large num­ber of hymns, ov­er 30 of which ap­peared in the va­ri­ous hymn-books of his time. Ma­ny of them, es­pe­cial­ly those of Praise and Thanks­giv­ing, and those of Cross and Con­so­la­tion, are of high mer­it, though some­times ex­ag­ger­at­ed and not ve­ry re­fined in their im­age­ry, and are full of ar­dent love to Christ, Scrip­tu­ral, po­et­ic­al, and al­so po­pu­lar in style.

Quoted in Ju­li­an, p. 724