三、雅威上帝全然依神性秩序取了人性
89# 雅威上帝全然依照自身的神性秩序取了人性。
前文专论神性全能、神性全知的段落已然阐明：上帝于创造之始，便将秩序安置于宇宙，亦安置在宇宙一切整体与个体之中；是以上帝的全能运行于万有、以及万有之全体与个别之内，皆依循祂自有秩序的法则施展作为。相关道理，前文已依序铺陈完备（第四十九至七十四条）。
上帝本就是秩序本身，此理前文亦有佐证；如今祂既亲身降世，若要真实成为人，行事便不能背离秩序：必须经由受孕、在母腹怀胎、降生、受教化，循序渐进习得各类知识，借着知识逐步通达明慧与智慧。是以就人性层面而论，祂初为婴孩，与寻常婴孩无异；长成孩童，亦与寻常孩童一般，人生阶段次第递进。唯一区别在于，祂走完这一成长历程，较之世人更为迅疾、充盈、完备。祂依循这般秩序逐步成长，路加福音经文可为明证：“孩子渐渐长大，强健起来，充满智慧，又有神的恩在他身上。”（路 2:40）经文又记：“耶稣的智慧和身量，并神和人喜爱他的心，都一齐增长。”（路 2:52）
祂的成长远胜常人，同卷福音书亦有记述：祂十二岁时，在圣殿坐于文士师长中间，静听教诲、又向众人发问，凡听闻祂言语的人，无不惊奇祂的见识与应答（路 2:46-47）。后文又载：“照他平常的规矩进了会堂，站起来要念圣经。”（路 4:16）“众人都称赞他，并希奇他口中所出的恩言。”（路 4:22）“他们很希奇他的教训，因为他的话里有权柄。”（路 4:32）
凡此种种，皆因神性秩序立定一条法则：人当先自我预备，方可接纳上帝；人预备自身到何等程度，上帝便以何等程度进入其内，如同进入自己的居所。这份预备，依靠对上帝的认知、对教会属灵事理的认知而成就，亦即依靠明慧与智慧。秩序之定则如此：人越是主动趋近上帝 —— 这份趋近必要全然看似发自自身 —— 上帝便越是亲近于人，在人心灵深处与人相合。主便是循着这一秩序一路递进，直至与父全然合一，此理后文将再加详证。
89# （3）神照着祂的神序取了人身。论述神性全能和全知的章节已经说明，神在创造宇宙及其每一个和一切事物时，就把秩序引入了它们；因此，祂在宇宙及其每一个和一切事物中的全能都是照着祂的秩序律法来进行和运作的。前面（TCR 49-74节）已经连续论述了这些律法。
既然正是神降临，既然如那里所说明的，祂是秩序本身，那么祂若要成为一个实际的人，就有必要在子宫里受孕、孕育，然后出生，接受教育，逐渐获得知识，由此被引入聪明和智慧。因此，就祂的人身而言，祂是和其它婴儿一样的婴儿，和其他孩童一样的孩童，等等；唯一不同的是，祂经历这些发展状态比其他人更快、更充分、更完美。祂照着秩序以这种方式发展，这一点从路加福音中的这些话明显看出来：
耶稣那孩子渐渐长大，灵里强健。耶稣的智慧和年纪或身量，并神和人对祂的喜爱，都一起增长。（路加福音2:40，52）
祂比其他人成长得更快、更充分、更完美，这一点从路加福音中论到祂的话明显看出来，即：
祂十二岁时，在殿里坐在教师中间，教导他们，凡听见祂的，都希奇祂的理解和对答。（路加福音2:46，47; 4:16-22，32）
这种事之所以发生，是因为神序要求一个人要预备自己接受神；他怎样预备自己，神就怎样进入他里面，如同进入祂自己的住处和家；这种预备是通过关于神和属于教会的属灵事物的知识，因而通过聪明和智慧实现的。因为这是一条秩序的律法，人接近和靠近神（他必须完全貌似凭自己这样做）到何等程度，神就在何等程度上接近和靠近人，并在人的内层与他结合。下文（TCR 97-99，105-106节）将进一步说明，主照着这种秩序发展，甚至直到与父完全合一。
89. 3. In the process of taking on a human manifestation, God followed his own divine design. In the section on divine omnipotence and omniscience we showed that in the act of creating, God introduced his design into the universe as a whole and into each and every thing in it. Therefore in the universe and in all its parts God's omnipotence follows and works according to the laws of his own design. The treatment of those laws runs from 49 to 74.
Now, because God came down, and because he is the design (as was also shown in that section), there was no other way for him to become an actual human being than to be conceived, to be carried in the womb, to be born, to be brought up, and to acquire more and more knowledge so as to become intelligent and wise. Therefore in his human manifestation he was an infant like any infant, a child like any child, and so on with just one difference: he completed the process more quickly, more fully, and more perfectly than the rest of us do.
This statement in Luke shows that he followed the divine design in his progress: "The child Jesus grew and became strong in spirit, and he advanced in wisdom, age, and grace with God and with humankind" (Luke 2:40, 52). Other statements about the Lord in the same Gospel make it clear that he grew up more quickly, more fully, and more perfectly than the rest of us; for example, when "he was a child of twelve, he sat and taught in the Temple in the midst of the scholars, and all who heard him were astounded at his insightful answers" (Luke 2:46-47). Likewise later on; see Luke 4:16-22, 32.
The Lord's life followed this path because the divine design is for people to prepare themselves to accept God; and as they prepare themselves, God enters them as if he were coming into his own dwelling and his own home. The preparation entails developing a concept of God and of the spiritual things related to the church - that is, developing intelligence and wisdom.
It is a law of the divine design that the closer and closer we come to God, which is something we have to do as if we were completely on our own, the closer and closer God comes to us. When we meet, God forms a partnership with us. The Lord followed this design even to the point of union with his Father, as we will show later on [97-99, 105-106].
89. (iii) HE TOOK UPON HIMSELF HUMAN FORM IN ACCORDANCE WITH HIS DIVINE ORDER.
It was shown in the section on the Divine omnipotence and omniscience that together with creation God introduced order both into the universe and into all its parts, and that God's omnipotence therefore functions and works in the universe and all its parts in accordance with the laws of its order; these points were discussed in their proper sequence above (49-74). Now since God came down, and He is order, as was proved in that section, He had, so as to become really man, to be conceived, be carried in the womb, be born, be brought up and learn items of knowledge one by one, and by their means be brought into a state of intelligence and wisdom. Therefore in His Human He was a child like any other child, a boy like any other boy, and so on, the only difference being that He achieved that progress more quickly, fully and perfectly than others. It is evident from this passage in Luke that He advanced thus in accordance with order:
The boy Jesus grew and was strengthened in spirit; and He advanced in wisdom, years and favour with God and men, Luke 2:40, 52.
It is plain that He did this more quickly, fully and perfectly than others from the description the same Evangelist gives of Him, as for instance that, when He was a boy of twelve, He sat and taught in the Temple in the midst of the teachers, and all who heard Him were astonished at His intelligence and His answers (Luke 2:46-47 and later Luke 4:16-22, 32). This was done because Divine order prescribes that a person should prepare himself to receive God; and as he prepares himself, so God enters into him as into His dwelling and home. That preparation is accomplished by acquiring knowledge about God and the spiritual matters which concern the church, thus by means of intelligence and wisdom. For it is a law of order that in so far as a person approaches and comes near to God, which he should do entirely as if of himself, so far does God approach and come near to him, and link Himself to the person in his midst. It will be shown in the following pages that the Lord advanced in accordance with this order until He reached union with His Father.
89. (3) God assumed the Human in accordance with His Divine Order. In the section that treats of the Divine omnipotence and omniscience it has been shown that God introduced order into the universe and into each and all things of it at the time of their creation, and therefore His omnipotence in the universe and in each and all things of it, proceeds and operates in accordance with the laws of His order. (This has already been treated of consecutively,49-74.) Since, then, it was God who descended, and since (as is there shown) He is Order itself, it was necessary, if He was to become man actually, that He should be conceived, carried in the womb, born, educated, acquire knowledges gradually, and thereby be introduced into intelligence and wisdom. In respect to His Human He was, for this reason, an infant like other infants, a boy like other boys, and so on; with the sole difference that this development was accomplished in Him more quickly, more fully, and more perfectly than in others. That this development was in accordance with order is evident from these words in Luke:
And the child Jesus grew and waxed strong in spirit. And Jesus advanced in wisdom, and in the stages of life, and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:40, 52).
That this was done more quickly, more fully, and more perfectly than with others is evident from what is said of Him in the same Gospel, that
When He was twelve years old He sat in the temple in the midst of the doctors and taught them and that all that heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers (Luke 2:46, 47; and afterwards, 4:16-22, 32).
This took place because Divine order requires that man should prepare himself for the reception of God; and in proportion as he prepares himself, God enters into him as into His dwelling-place and home; and this preparation is effected by means of knowledges respecting God and the spiritual things pertaining to the church, and thus by means of intelligence and wisdom. For it is a law of order that in proportion as man approaches and gets near to God (which he must do wholly as if of himself) does God approach and get near to man, and conjoin Himself with man in man's interiors. It was in accordance with this order that the Lord progressed even to a oneness with His Father, as will be further shown in what follows.
89. (3) GOD ASSUMED THE HUMAN ACCORDING TO HIS OWN DIVINE ORDER.
In the section concerning the Divine omnipotence and omniscience it was shown that God at the creation introduced order into the universe and all its parts; and accordingly that the omnipotence of God proceeds and operates in the universe and all its parts according to the laws of His order. This has been treated above in numbers 49-74. Now since God came down, and since He is Order itself, as is there shown, it was necessary, in order for Him actually to become Man, that He should be conceived, carried in the womb, and be born; and that He should be educated, acquiring in due course the knowledge by which He might attain to intelligence and wisdom. Therefore as to His Humanity He was an infant like any other infant, a boy like any other boy, and so on; but with this sole difference, that He passed through those progressive states sooner, more fully and more perfectly than others. That He advanced in this way according to order is manifest from these words in Luke:
"The child Jesus grew, and waxed strong in spirit; and increased in wisdom and age (A.V., stature), and in favor with God and man" 2:40, 52.
That He did so sooner, more fully and more perfectly than others appears from the account recorded of Him in the same Evangelist, that as a boy, twelve years old, He sat in the Temple in the midst of the doctors and taught; and that all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers 2:46-47; and also 4:16-22, 32.
This was done because the Divine order is that a man should prepare himself for the reception of God; and as he prepares himself so God enters into him, as into His own dwelling-place and home. Such preparation is effected by means of the knowledge of God and of the spiritual things belonging to the Church, and thus by intelligence and wisdom. For it is a law of order that so far as a man approaches and draws near to God, which he must do entirely as of himself, so far God approaches and draws near to him, and interiorly conjoins Himself to him. It will be shown further in the following numbers that the Lord advanced to complete union with His Father according to this order.
89. III. QUOD DEUS ASSUMSERIT HUMANUM SECUNDUM DIVINUM SUUM ORDINEM. In Paragrapho de Divina Omnipotentia et Omniscientia, ostensum est, quod Deus una cum Creatione introduxerit Ordinem tam in Universum quam in omnia et singula ejus; et quod ideo Dei Omnipotentia in Universo et in omnibus et singulis ejus secundum leges sui Ordinis procedat, et operetur, de quibus in serie a 49-74, supra actum est. Nunc quia Deus descendit, et quia Ipse est Ordo, ut quoque ibi demonstratum est, non potuit aliter, ut actualiter etiam homo fieret, quam concipi, gestari in utero, nasci, educari, et successive scientias addiscere, per illas in intelligentiam et sapientiam introduci; quapropter quoad Humanum fuit infans sicut infans, puer sicut puer, et sic porro; cum sola differentia, quod citius, plenius et perfectius quam alii, progressionem illam perfecerit: quod ita secundum Ordinem progressus sit, constat ex his apud Lucam, "Jesus puer crevit et corroboratus est spiritu, ac profecit sapientia, aetate, et gratia apud Deum et homines," Luca 2:40, 52; quod citius, plenius et perfectius quam alii, patet ex illis quae de Ipso apud eundem Evangelistam dicuntur, ut quod dum Puer 12 annorum erat, in Templo in medio Doctorum sederit et docuerit, et quod obstupuerint omnes audientes Ipsum super Intelligentia et Responsionibus Ipsius, 2:46-47; et postea, 4:16-22, 32. Hoc factum est, quia Divinus Ordo est, ut homo seipsum praeparet ad receptionem Dei, et sicut se praeparat, ita Deus in illum, ut in suum habitaculum et domum intret, et praeparatio illa fit per cognitiones de Deo et de spiritualibus quae Ecclesiae sunt, et sic per intelligentiam et sapientiam; nam Lex Ordinis est, quod quantum homo accedit et appropinquat ad Deum, quod faciet prorsus sicut a se, tantum Deus accedat et appropinquet ad hominem, et in medio ejus se conjungat cum illo: quod Dominus secundum hunc Ordinem usque ad Unionem cum suo Patre progressus sit, in sequentibus ulterius demonstrabitur.