(12) But to declare this further; when the Matrix stood thus in the Birth, where the Matter of the Earth was generated, then the Matrix with the Kindling became Water; you must understand it right, not wholly in Substance, but it has generated the Earth, Stones, and Metals, and yet the Matrix continues still, so also the Water still continues in the killing and overcoming; Note. whereby the material World took its Beginning, where the Globe of the Earth was drawn together in this Moving, and stands in the Middle of the Circle from above and from beneath as a Point [or Punctum.]

(12) Now I know very well, that I shall not only in Part be as it were dumb or obscure to the desirous Reader, but also tedious, and he will be somewhat troubled at me, in that I have written of the eternal Mother (wherein the divine Essence stands;) and that I now write, that this Matrix is inanimate and void of Understanding, out of which also a Principle void of Understanding is generated; as is plain before our Eyes, that in this World there is no true Understanding, either in the Stars, or in the Elements; and also in all its Creatures there is but an Understanding to qualify [or to operate,] to nourish itself, and to increase, as the Matrix in itself is.

(7) Now says Moses; And God said, Let there be Light, and there was Light. This Light now was the fifth Form in the Matrix. For the fifth Essence was not yet created in the Matrix, nor separated till the fourth Day, when God created the Sun and Stars out of it, and separated the Light from the Darkness; where then the Light got the Virtue of the Glance, or Splendor, into itself for its own, and the Root of the Fire in the Center remained hidden in the Darkness.

(30) Now the Matrix (viz. the created Heaven) in the Fiat, together with the Stars, is the Similitude of all that was from Eternity, though not visible; and the Fiat is in the Similitude; and the Paradise, wherein the Angels dwell, is hidden in the Matrix; and God is shining in the Paradise, and yet incomprehensible; as the Glance [or Luster] of the Sun cannot be comprehended.

(29) Thus the starry Heaven rules in all Creatures, as in its proper own; it is the [Husband or] Man; and the Matrix, or the watery Form, is its [Wife or] Woman, which it continually impregnates; and the Matrix is the Genetrix, which brings forth the Child which the Heaven begets; and that is the created Heaven in the third Principle, from whence the Elements are proceeded; viz. the watery Matrix, out of which the visible Water generated itself, and still always does generate itself in the Anguish.

(29) For when the Matrix became dthin again, dead and vanquished from the risen Light, then the material [Matrix] turned to Water, as we may perceive; and in this Kindling before the Light of the Sun (when the Matrix was still in the harsh Fierceness) the Matrix attracted that which was wrought together into the dark Earth, which before the Time of the Creation was but fiery Heaven, in the fifth Form in the Matrix, by the Fiat which the Father spoke through his Heart or Son, by and in the going forth of his Spirit, who there, upon the Matrix in the fifth Form, framed the fiery Heaven, as the highly worthy Moses has clearly written of it. For the Matrix is the Water-Spirit in the Original, in the first Form; and now when it became material in the Place of this World, then the Spirit moved upon the Water in the heavenly Matrix, which is immaterial, (from whence the material Water is generated), and so formed the Creatures.

(21) But you will not find this Root here, you must look into the all Things, for the Matrix of this World stands in the eternal Matrix, from which Paradise and the Kingdom of Heaven has its Original. Now as the eternal Matrix is a Birth that goes forth, where in the Original there is Harshness, Darkness, Hardness, and Anguish; so you may see, that when the Spirit of God has kindled the inward Matrix, then it becomes stirring, working, and active.

(17) For the Heaven is the Matrix, and is called Heaven, because of the Separation, because the fifth Essence of Heaven is separated, and set in the higher Heaven, where the Matrix is more fiery, as it is properly understood in the Language of Nature, and is plain before our Eyes. But here the Quality, Birth and Property of the Heaven ought to be described, because the four Elements sprung out of it, as out of their Mother; and because the Virtue of every Life consists therein, therefore the Original of the four Elements must be described, wherein it will first truly be understood what the Heaven is.

(7) But the Virtue which was in the Matrix, was that which could effect such Things in the Matrix; for a Stone is nothing else but a Water, Mercury, Salt, and Brimstone, wherein an Oil is hidden. Now the Birth of the Matrix has such a Form in its eternal Essence, and Birth of its Life. For first, there is the Harshness [or Sourness] Fierceness [or eager Strength] and Hardness, from whence the Cold proceeds. Now the Sourness [or Harshness] attracts and sharpens the Cold; and in its attracting it makes the bitter Sting [or Prickle] which pricks and rages, and cannot endure the hard Attracting, but vexes like a furious Madness, it rises up and rages, and becomes like a Brimstone- Spirit.

(16) But when the Matrix (from which the Terror was gone forth) was thus loosed from the Terror of the Anxiety, and became so very sweet, like sweet Water, then the Spirit of the great World figured [or imprinted itself] instantly, in the Matrix, and fills the four Elements also within it, and thinks with itself, now 1 have the sweet Virgin; and the Fiat creates it, and separates the Elements, which also are in Strife: And each of them would have the Virgin, and are in a Wrestling, till they overcome one another, and that the Fire (being the mightiest and strongest) stays above, and the Water sinks down; and the Earth, being a hard gross Thing, must stay below: But the Fire will have a

(26) Thus the Devil moved the Matrix, and the fiery Form moved the Devil; for a that also would be creaturely, as [well as] all the other Forms in the Matrix, which yet was opposite to the fifth Form in the Matrix, where in the meek and clear Light the pleasant Source of Love springs up, wherein the second Principle stands eternally.

(26) If the whole wheel, circumference or sphere of the stars be well considered, then it is soon found that the same is the mother of all things, or the nature out of which all things are come, and wherein all things stand and live, and whereby everything moveth; all things are made of these powers, and therein they all abide eternally.

(24) When God in the first Matrix moved himself to create, and created the Angels, he created them in Paradise, in the light holy Matrix, (which is this and no other;) but the Matrix, with its fiery, dark, and harsh bitter Property, remained altogether hidden; for the Light of God from Eternity preserved it, and kept it pleasant, clear, and bright. But when God moved himself to create, then it became manifested; for the Angels were created out of the indissoluble Band, out of the Matrix, and were corporized from the moving Spirit of God.

(4) In these lessons we have followed the example of some of the world's greatest thinkers, both ancient and modern--the Hermetic. Masters--and have called this Underlying Power--this Substantial Reality--by the Hermetic name of "THE ALL," which term we consider the most comprehensive of the many terms applied by Man to THAT which transcends names and terms.

(16) Now when the Heaven became clear [or pure,] and cleansed from the Earth and the dark Mist [or Dust] in the Concretion [or Driving together,] then in the Matrix of the Heaven there were the three Elements, Fire, Air, and Water, which are three in one another, in one Mother; and that Mother is here called the Heaven; therefore henceforward in my Writing, I shall use the Word Heaven instead of the Word Matrix.

(28) Now when God had severed the Matrix with [or from] its fiery Form, and would manifest himself with this World, then he put the Fiat into the Matrix, and spoke out of himself, [saying,] Let there be Herbs, Grass, Trees, and Beasts, every one according to their Kind: This Speaking, was the Heart, or the Virtue [or Power] of the Eternal Father: But the Spirit which had the Fiat, went from the Eternal Father (in the Virtue of the Heart of God) forth with the Will (and the Will was the Fiat) and made the Out-Birth in the third Principle material, visible, and comprehensible, each according to its Essence; as the Virtue was, so was also its Body. For there the fiery Matrix, or the Constellation, gave its Virtue to the Fiat; and the watery Matrix, with the Elements, received the Virtue, and so were impregnated, and each Element generated its own Creatures out of itself; as also each Form in the fiery and watery Nature out of themselves; and yet it became no separable Essence, but only every Creature was separated according to its Kind, according to the eternal Virtue, which arose in the Longing by the Lust, and became the third Principle, which was not before Time [begun.]

(31) And God is immense, [immeasurable,] and the Similitude is also immeasurable; he is in the Similitude, and the Similitude comprehends him not; the Similitude is his Work, and he is the Master- Workman thereof; the Constellation is his Instrument, and the Matrix, with the Elements, are the Materia, [Matter or Materials,] out of which the Master cuts and fashions his Work.

(24) Now mark, when God would manifest himself by the material World, and the Matrix stood in the anguishing Birth, wherein the Creator moved the first Principle to the creating of Angels, then the Matrix stood undivided in the inward Essence.; for there was then no Comprehensibility, but Spirit only, and the Virtue of the Spirit. The Spirit was God, and the Virtue was Heaven, and the Spirit wrought in the Virtue, so that thereby the Virtue became attracting and longing, for the Spirit beheld itself in the Virtue; and therein the Spirit created the Virtue from whence the Angels came to be. And thus the Virtue became the Dwelling of the Angels, and the Paradise wherein the Spirit wrought; and the Spirit longed after the Light, and the Light shone in the Virtue; so there is a paradisical Joy, and pleasant Sport therein; and thus God is manifested.

(27) When this Storm was in the Creation (in the first Principle) the Matrix became very big [or much impregnated] and kindled; and every Form in the Matrix wrought, [stirred or acted.] But because the Anger and Wrath had there elevated itself, and that this Place could not thus subsist in Paradise, therefore God moved this Place yet more in the Matrix, which was yet the more kindled, where then is to be the Devil's Bath, [Repository or Dwelling-Place,] and the fourth Form stood in the Flash of the Fire, which reflected back into the Mother, and found the Spirit of God in the Forming [or Creation,] where in a Moment [that fourth Form] lost its wrathful [smart, fierce Property, Authority or] Right, and became in great Joy, white, clear, and light: and in this Place [or Thing consists or] stands the Fiat, by which God created Heaven and Earth. For before the Fiat, the third Principle was not manifested, but there was merely Paradise in the Place of this World.

(6) This is the Lord of all. This is All-knowing. This is the controller within. This is the source of all and, surely, That which is the beginning and end of all living beings.