The poem was attributed to "R.H." in The Spiritual Magazine, 1761 and collected into the book Divine, Moral, and Historical Miscellanies, in Prose and Verse... (London, 1761). The poem was later republished in A Handful of Flowers compiled by Rev. C. Chandler and published by Axtel and Pardon, London, in 1768. Since The Spiritual Magazine was a magazine for Calvinistic Baptists, "R.H." contributed additional poems to this magazine, one of which identifies him as being from Long Buckby and a minister by the name of Richard Hutchins served the Calvinist Baptist congregation in Long Buckby from about 1759-1765, it is likely that "R.H." refers to Richard Hutchins.
Dianne Shapiro, from "Richard Hutchins: the poet of 'The Tree of life my soul hath seen (Jesus Christ the Apple Tree)" by Gerald Montagu posted on the Fasola Discussion Group (Google Group) accessed 2/9/2017