These words were probably written by John Alexander Granade (17?-1807), an American revivalist preacher of the Methodist Church during the early 1800s. He was known as “the wild man of the woods”, and he composed many widely sung hymns. This particular one recalls the apostle Peter’s triple confession of love for his Savior: “Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love Thee” (John 21: 15-17). There are three stanzas omitted.

I LOVE THEE appeared with this hymn in 1805 in a collection of sacred songs known as Christian Harmony, or Songster’s companion. It was edited by Jeremiah Ingalls in New Hampshire, and contained several secular and lively folk tunes set to sacred words. Ingalls was born on March 1, 1764, at Andover, Maine, and was in turn farmer, cooper, tavern keeper, and singing teacher. He settled in Newbury, Vermont, and was a deacon and choir director of the Congregational church there. H died at Hancock, Vermont, on April 16,1828. He also composed SDAH 533, NORTHFIELD. I LOVE THEE is an early American folk song brought from Europe by the first settlers. It is in the pentatonic scale and can be played entirely on the black notes of the piano if raised a minor third into the key of G-flat. Since the time is a mixture 3/4 and 4/4, the committee elected to leave the time signature.

-from Companion to the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal by Wayne Hooper and Edward E. White