The word emanation is used on page 519 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," where Mrs. Eddy writes in this connection: "Deity was satisfied with His work. How could He be otherwise, since the spiritual creation was the outgrowth, the emanation, of His infinite self-containment and immortal wisdom?"
The first recorded declaration of God in the Bible is, "Let there be light." How important it is, therefore, for us to understand what this means; for without this understanding we remain in that state of consciousness referred to by John when he said, "The light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." This light is, of course, spiritual understanding, that which is able to distinguish between truth and error, the real and the unreal, the eternal and the temporal. It appears to the human consciousness, and is the light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world. Christ Jesus said, "I am the light of the world;" and he also said to his disciples, "Ye are the light of the world," meaning thereby that individually, as the emanations of God, like rays proceeding from the sun, they were the light of the world.
Let us consider the origin, function, and scope of man as illustrated by a ray of light. He proceeds from his divine source, expressing the qualities, nature, character, and attributes of his origin, divine Principle. There is no means by which he can be torn away from, separated from, cut off, or made to fall from eternal relation with his divine source. The permanent at-one-ment of Principle and idea is illustrated by this fact. Man's function is eternally to express his creator through reflection. He stands at the point of effect always, and therefore has no authority to change, alter, or depart from his original condition. He must perpetually express the will of God. This was clearly revealed by Jesus when he said, "The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise." How clear it is that man, as the image and likeness of God, lives as reflection, emanation, offspring, and therefore has not the capability of becoming unlike his Father-Mother God. Like produces like throughout the round of existence, and there are no exceptions to this rule.
