Once He Came in Blessing

Once He came in blessing,
All our ills redressing,
Came in likeness lowly,
Son of God most holy;
Bore the cross to save us,
Hope and freedom gave us.

Still He comes within us,
Still His voice would win us
From the sins that hurt us;
Would to truth convert us
From our foolish errors,
Ere He comes in terrors.

Thus if Thou hast known Him,
Not ashamed to own Him,
Nor dost love Him coldly,
But will trust Him boldly,
He will now receive thee,
Heal thee, and forgive thee.

He who well endureth,
Bright reward secureth;
Come, then, O Lord Jesus,
From our sins release us;
Let us here confess Thee,
Till in Heav’n we bless Thee.

Author: Unknown

This is an English translation of the 14th-century Latin hymn "Gottes Sohn ist kommen" (or "Once He Came in Blessing"). The original Latin author is unknown; the text is sometimes attributed to the Bohemian Brethren or linked to Michael Weisse's 1531 German version, but no single lyricist is definitively identified.