This is the first explanation of the word of Jesus Christ our
Bridegroom, when He said, "See, the Bridegroom cometh; go forth to
meet Him."

BOOK II

THE SUBJECTS OF THE SECOND BOOK

THE prudent virgin--that is to say, the pure soul, who has
renounced the things of earth, and lives henceforth for God in
virtue, has taken in the vessel of her heart the oil of charity and
of divine works by means of the lamp of an unstained conscience. But
when Christ, her Bridegroom, withdraws His consolations and the
fresh outpouring of His gifts, the soul becomes heavy and torpid.

At midnight--that is to say, when it is least expected, a spiritual
cry resounds in the soul: "See, the Bridegroom cometh, go forth to
meet Him." We shall now speak of this seeing, and of the inward
coming of Christ, and of the spiritual going forth of the man to
meet Jesus, and we shall explain these four conditions of an inward
life, exalted and full of desire, to which all men attain not, but
many reach it by means of the virtues and their inward courage.

In these words, Christ teaches us four things. In the first, He
requires that our intelligence shall be enlightened with a
supernatural light. This is what we observe in the word, "See." In
the next words He shows us what we ought to see--that is to say, the
inward coming of our Bridegroom of eternal truth. This is His
meaning when He says: "The Bridegroom cometh." In the third place,
in the words "go forth," He bids us go forth in inward actions