THE word impart carries a particular significance when used in connection with any of the terms for God. This may be observed in the following quotation from the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy (p. 515): "All that God imparts moves in accord with Him, reflecting goodness and power." "Impart" is defined, "To share with another what is regarded as primarily one's own." Consequently, in order to comprehend and rightly appreciate the impartations of God it is necessary to understand God.
Christian Science teaches that God is All-in-all and uses the following synonyms, Life, Truth, Love, Principle, Mind, Spirit, Soul, in defining His nature. Since these distinctive terms express the very essence of God's nature and indicate good only, it is quite evident that qualities of like nature must be imparted to His image, the sons and daughters of the Father Mother God.
In the familiar first chapter of Genesis we note the establishment of the firmament and the statement that "God called the firmament Heaven" (verse 8). In the same chapter it may be noted that after the "second day" of the firmament the land and waters appeared, and then the earth brought forth grass, the herb, and the fruit tree, "whose seed is in itself." Then lights appeared "in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth." Mrs. Eddy explains that this firmament is "spiritual understanding; the scientific line of demarcation between Truth and error, between Spirit and so called matter" (Science and Health, p. 586). Since the firmament stands for spiritual understanding, and Mind imparts that understanding, understanding must reveal the eternal unfoldment of the spiritual universe. Subsequently animals, and the fowl, metaphorically representing gradations of thought, appeared on the horizon of understanding. God blessed them all. And then there was brought forth that highest idea of Mind, man. And everything was "very good."
