Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut

Bartholomäus Ringwaldt wrote the lyrics of the penitential hymn in 1588, and possibly also created the melody. He wrote eight stanzas, beginning "Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut, du Brunnquell aller Gnaden" (Lord Jesus Christ, you highest good, you fountain of all mercy).[1][2]

An anonymous poet, who was probably inspired by Ringwaldt's song, wrote a communion hymn of three stanzas, beginning "Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut, der du uns hast geladen" (Lord Jesus Christ, you highest good, who invited us), taking not only the first line, but also the rhyme of the second from Ringwaldt's hymn. Its theology follows writing by Johann Arndt, who had written in Sechs Bücher vom wahren Christentum that God is good and the highest good, which can be tasted in his sacrament. The song appeared first in Chemnitz in 1713 in the hymnal Vollständiges Chemnitzer Gesangbuch. The melody refers to Ringwaldt's song.[3]

This hymn is part of the Protestant hymnal Evangelisches Gesangbuch as EG 219.[3]

Bach used several stanzas of the penitential hymn. His settings are based on the Zahn No. 4486 hymn tune, that is one of the melodies composed for "Wenn mein Stündlein vorhanden ist".[4][5] Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir, BWV 131, one of his early cantatas is a setting of Psalm 130, containing two stanzas of the hymn which are juxtaposed in the manner of a chorale fantasia with an aria.[6] He used a stanza for Tue Rechnung! Donnerwort, BWV 168,[7] and he based Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut, BWV 113, one of his chorale cantatas, on the complete, partly rephrased hymn.[8][9] The chorale cantata was first performed on 24 August 1724, the eleventh Sunday after Trinity that year.[10] Bach composed a chorale prelude, BWV 1114, which became part of the Neumeister Chorales, rediscovered in 1985 by Christoph Wolff.[11]