Pride and vanity

Meaning

Pride and vanity name the worldly uses of wealth for which the art must not be sought in Part I: entrance and preparation · unit 7. The passage contrasts such intention with contemplation that leads to knowledge of God's works and a changed valuation of worldly splendour. Its warning is not that every possession is inherently evil, but that an ambition fixed on self-exaltation defeats the desired end. The English keeps the words joined to the purpose for which riches are sought. The paragraph then demands concord of body, soul and spirit and purification of the practitioner's disposition alongside the work.