Christian Heinrich Postel

Christian Heinrich Postel (11 October 1658 – 22 March 1705) was a German jurist, epic poet and opera librettist, who wrote 28 libretti for the Oper am Gänsemarkt in Hamburg: set by composers such as Johann Philipp Förtsch, Reinhard Keiser and Georg Philipp Telemann.

He travelled for six months with Jacob von Melle [de], a historian and theologian, in the Netherlands, England and France.

Their diary of the journey, "Beschreibung einer Reise durch das nordwestliche Deutschland, nach den Niederlanden und England im Jahre 1683" (Description of a journey through the north-western Germany, to the Netherlands and England in the year 1683), not printed until the 19th century, shows their many interests, especially in foreign universities and libraries.

While Postel is thought to have written all thirteen poetic pieces added to the Gospel text, it is certain only for three which were reprinted by Christian Friedrich Hunold,[5] while "Durch dein Gefängnis, Gottes Sohn" is among the other ten.

Ritter and Mattheson composed it as an aria, while Bach set it as a chorale on the melody of the hymn "Machs mit mir, Gott, nach deiner Güt" (Deal with me, God, according to your kindness).