38 Prayers and Meditations.
an end, receive me to everlasting happiness, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Endorsed Novum Museum, March 7. 66.
Transcribed, June 26, 68.
��Good Friday, March 28, i'j66 I . On the night before I used proper Collects, and prayed when I arose in the morning. I had all the week an awe upon me, not thinking on Passion week till I looked in the almanack 2 . I have wholly forbone M [? meat] and wines, except one glass on Sunday night.
In the morning I rose, and drank very small tea 3 without milk, and had nothing more that day.
This was the day on which Tetty died. I did not mingle much men [? mention] of her with the devotions of this day, because it is dedicated to more holy subjects. I mentioned her at church, and prayed once solemnly at home. I was twice at church, and went through the prayers without perturbation, but heard the sermons imperfectly. I came in both times at the second lesson, not hearing the bell.
When I came home I read the Psalms for the day, and one sermon in Clark 4 . Scruples distract me, but at church I had hopes to conquer them 5 .
1 From the autograph record by his name in his Dictionary ' ; never- Johnson of Good Friday, March 28, theless he recommended them on his Easter Sunday, March 30, and May 4, death-bed, 'because he is fullest on and the copy of the record of the propitiatory sacrifice.' Life, iii. Saturday, March 29, preserved in 248; iv. 416. Clarke's Scripture the Bodleian Library (Select Auto- Doctrine of the Trinity had been graphs, Montagu). These entries condemned by the Lower House of are given in Appendix A to my Convocation. SmottetfsHist.o/Eng. edition of the Life, ii. 476. ii. 303.
2 Apparently he had * omitted 5 Johnson warned Boswell against church ' of late. scruples. ' I am afraid of scruples,'
3 This use of small applied to tea he wrote. Life, ii. 421. 'Let me on the analogy of small-beer was, warn you very earnestly against I think, uncommon. scruples. 3 Ib. ii. 423. I am no
4 Dr. Samuel Clarke, of whose friend to scruples.' Ib. v. 62. On sermons, though he was ' a con- his death-bed, he said : ' Scruples demned heretic as to the doctrine of made many men miserable, but few the Trinity/ Johnson thought highly. men good.' Croker's Boswell, p. 844. ' He had made it a rule not to admit See Post, p. 93.
I bore
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