The Life of Samuel Johnson

On June 2, Boswell returns to Scotland and, on the way, visits the country mansion of Mr. Dilly, accompanied by Johnson. This visit is notable for some intense and serious religious discussion, after Johnson and Boswell attend church. Johnson commends Boswell for receiving communion at church, implying that Johnson takes the sacrament only on certain occasions. This, for Boswell, points to Johnson’s morally conscientious nature, since he only receives communion when he feels morally worthy.

Believing Johnson to be a moral person, Boswell asks him for advice in being “a good man.” Johnson advises him not to trust mere impressions about the state of his soul but to examine his conscience to find out how he truly stands before God. Johnson then defends the theological idea of vicarious atonement. Divine punishment is necessary so that human beings get a full idea of how much evil displeases God; however, God ultimately sent his Son, Jesus, to bear the brunt of sin and evil and suffer in our place. In Jesus’ sacrifice, the “highest and purest nature”—divinity itself—suffered “a painful death” and thus showed how incompatible evil is with God. In this way, Christ’s sacrifice enables our “obedience” and “repentance” so that we may cancel out the effects of our sins.