Section 8.  In explanation of it, it may be observed,—I. There is no life at all save in Christ. II. Christ has life in a twofold sense; first, in himself, as he is God; and, secondly, by transfusing it into the flesh which he assumed, that he might thereby communicate life to us.

First of all, we are taught by the Scriptures that Christ was from the beginning the living Word of the Father, the fountain and origin of life, from which all things should always receive life. Hence John at one time calls him the Word of life, and at another says, that in him was life; intimating, that he, even then pervading all creatures, instilled into them the power of breathing and living. He afterwards adds, that the life was at length manifested, when the Son of God, assuming our nature, exhibited himself in bodily form to be seen and handled. Q8For although he [Jesus Christ] previously diffused his virtue into the creatures, yet Q8a[as] man, became alienated from God by sin, had lost the communication of life, and saw death on every side impending over him, he behooved, in order to regain the hope of immortality, to be restored to the communion of that Word.

(Q8 Calvin needed to be far more careful here in His thoughts and communication. He makes two mistakes in this one sentence, the last one of them being grievous in how it is delivered and not clarified. In the order of occurrence: Within the Book of Genesis 1:20-25, we see that God 'commanded' the 'waters' and the 'land' to bring forth life in the appropriate order of the day that God created life. It may be a mute point but "diffusing his virtue into the creatures", is a weak analogy compared to the power of God's Word to order even His elements to bring forth life. Lastly and the most important of corrections, is Calvin's fatigued writing concerning Christ as he states, "yet as man, became alienated from God by sin".  The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, even as the Son of Man did not become alienated from God, until He Jesus that knew no sin, was made to be sin for us.  2 Corinthians 5:21Forgive me; I have to admit that I don't understand the last portion of that sentence either, where Calvin writes "he behooved, in order to regain the hope of immortality".  The only hope for a partial transition of thought with what follows is contained in Q8a, although it does not mesh with the previous thoughts.

 (Q8a In the document as it is translated, the preposition 'as' would need to be removed from this sentence in order for this statement to make for spiritual sense.  In the reading as it now stands, it implies Jesus Christ rather than fallen man, is looking  for restoration from God.  We inserted  bracketed superscriptions [Jesus Christ] and [man] to make for the most probable understanding less the bracketed preposition [as].)

How little confidence can it give you, to know that the Word of God, from which you are at the greatest distance, contains within himself the fullness of life, whereas in yourself, in whatever direction you turn, you see nothing but death? But ever since that fountain of life began to dwell in our nature, he no longer lies hid at a distance from us, but exhibits himself openly for our participation. Nay, the very flesh in which he resides he makes vivifying to us, that by partaking of it we may feed for immortality. “I,” says he, “am that bread of life;” “I am the living bread which came down from heaven;” “And the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:48, 51). By these words he declares, not only that he is life, inasmuch as he is the eternal Word of God who came down to us from heaven, but, by coming down, gave vigor to the flesh which he assumed, that a communication of life to us might thence emanate. Hence, too, he adds, that his flesh is meat indeed, and that his blood is drink indeed: by this food believers are reared to eternal life. The pious, therefore, have admirable comfort in this, that they now find life in their own flesh. For they not only reach it by easy access, but have it spontaneously set forth before them. Let them only throw open the door of their hearts that they may take it into their embrace, and they will obtain it  (Revelations 3:20).

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Click 9. for the next Section: This confirmed from Cyril, and by a familiar example.
How the flesh of Christ gives life, and what the nature of our communion with Christ.

Communion