When God of old came down from heaven. J. Keble. [Whitsuntide.] First published in hisChristian Year, 1827, in 11 stanzas of 4 lines, as the poem for Whitsunday. In an abbreviated form it is in extensive use. A cento therefrom is given in a few American hymn-books as "Lo, when the Spirit of our God.” In Bishop Wordsworth's (St. Andrews) Series Collectarum, &c, 1890, stanzas i., iii., iv., vi., vii., ix., and xi. are rendered into Latin as "Olim cum Dominus supera descendit ab arce."
--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)