Tale of tenderness unfathomed
Told by God to me—
Tale of love, mysterious, awful—
Thus God’s love must be.

God the Seeker—one fair image
Ever in His thought,
Pure, and radiant, and faultless,
Yet He found it not.

Not amongst His holy Angels,
Was there one so bright;
Not amongst His stars of glory
Dwelt His heart’s delight.

Yet there was a depth unfathomed
In a lonely place;
One great deep of endless sorrow,
Darkness on its face.

Restless sea of black pollution
Moaning evermore,
Weary waves for ever breaking
On a barren shore.

There below in midnight darkness,
Under those wild waves,
Lies the treasure God is seeking,
Jewel that He craves.

Down beneath those sunless waters
He from Heaven has passed,
He has found His heart’s desire,
Found His pearl at last.

All He had His heart has given
For that gem unpriced—
Such art thou, O ransomed sinner,
Yea, for such is Christ.