284、本书第一部分论述的主题是神，祂是神性之爱和神性智慧；祂是生命，是物质和形式，也就是独一的绝对存在。第二部分论述的主题是属灵的太阳和灵界、属世的太阳和世界，以及神通过这两轮太阳对宇宙及其万物的创造。第三部分论述的主题是每一个受造物都存在于其中的层级。现在第四部分将要论述的主题是神对宇宙的创造。之所以现在解释所有这些主题，是因为天使在主面前哀叹，他们观看世界时，除了黑暗什么也看不见，在世人当中也找不到关于神、天堂，或大自然的创造的知识使得天使智慧停靠于其上。
284. In part 1 of the present work, I discussed God as divine love and wisdom and as life, and as that substance and form that constitute the one and only reality. In part 2, I dealt with the spiritual sun and its world and with the physical sun and its world, showing that the universe and everything in it was created by God by means of these two suns. Part 3 was about the levels that apply to absolutely everything that has been created. Now in this fourth part, I will be dealing with God's creation of the universe. The reason for presenting all this material is that angels have been expressing their grief to the Lord about seeing nothing but darkness when they look into our world, seeing among us no knowledge about God, heaven, and the creation of nature, knowledge that could serve them as a basis for wisdom.
284. In Part One of this work our subject was God, and we said that He is Divine love and wisdom, that He is life, and that He is the substance and form which is the one and only absolute being.
In Part Two we discussed the spiritual sun and its world, and the natural sun and its world; and we said that God created the universe with all of its constituents by means of the two suns.
In Part Three we dealt with the degrees in which each and all created things exist.
Here in Part Four we will now take up God's creation of the universe.
We are considering all these matters because angels have lamented before the Lord that when they look into the world they see nothing but darkness, and that they find in people no knowledge of God, heaven and the creation of nature on which to rest their wisdom.
284. Part I of this work is treated of God, that He is Divine Love and Wisdom, and that He is Life; also that He is substance and form which is very and only Esse. Part II treated of the spiritual sun and its world, and of the natural sun and its world, and of the creation of the universe with all things thereof from God by means of these two suns. Part III treated of degrees in which are each and all things that have been created. This Part IV will now treat of the creation of the universe from God. The reason that these and the former subjects are treated is because the angels have lamented before the Lord that, when they look upon the world they see nothing but darkness, and among men, no knowledge of God, nor of heaven nor of the creation of nature, for their wisdom to lean upon.
284. Part First of this Work treated of God, that He is Divine Love and Divine Wisdom; that He is life, and that He is substance and form, which is the very and only Esse. Part Second treated of the spiritual sun and its world, and of the natural sun and its world, and of the creation of the universe with all things thereof from God by means of these two suns. Part Third treated of degrees in which are each and all things that have been created. Part Fourth will now treat of the creation of the universe from God. All these subjects are now explained, because the angels have lamented before the Lord, that when they look upon the world they see nothing but darkness, and among men no knowledge of God, of heaven, or of the creation of nature, for their wisdom to rest upon.
284. In Parte Prima hujus operis actum est de Deo, quod sit Divinus Amor et Divina Sapientia, et quod sit Vita, tum quod sit Substantia et Forma quae est ipsum et unicum Esse. In Parte Secunda actum est de Sole spirituali et ejus Mundo, ac de Sole naturali et ejus Mundo: et quod per utrumque Solem universum cum omnibus ejus a Deo creatum sit. In Parte tertia actum est de gradibus in quibus sunt omnia et singula quae creata sunt. In Quarta hac Parte nunc agetur de Creatione Universi a Deo. Causa quod de his et de illis agatur, est quia Angeli lamentati sunt coram Domino, quod dum spectant in Mundum nihil videant nisi tenebras, et apud homines de Deo, de Coelo, et de Creatione naturae, nihil scientiae, cui sapientia illorum innitatur.