(September 18, 1709–December 13, 1784), was an English poet, essayist, critic and lexicographer. He wrote one of the first dictionaries in the English language. He was respected for his judgment, which was coupled with a probing wit. Samuel Johnson organized the London Literary Club. He wrote the poems London, 1738; The Vanity of Human Wishes, 1749; the satirical work Rasselas, 1759; an edition of Shakespeare, 1765; and the significant work, The Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets, 1779–81, wherein he gives profound critical examination of 52 English poets.
In his Dictionary of the English Language, 1755, Samuel Johnson gave the definition:
PROVIDENCE—(Providentia, Latin).
1. Foresight; timely care..Sidney.
2. The care of God over created beings; divine superintendence—Raleigh.526
Samuel Johnson attested:
It appears evident that the writers of the Old Testament were the original and best writers, and that from them are borrowed numerous ideas attributed to the poets themselves.527
Almighty God, the Giver of all good things, without whose help all labor is ineffectual, and without whose grace all wisdom is folly, grant, I beseech Thee, that in this undertaking Thy Holy Spirit may not be withheld from me, but that I may promote Thy glory and the salvation of myself and others; grant this, O Lord, for the sake of Thy Son, Jesus Christ.528
I bless Thee for creation, preservation, and redemption; for the knowledge of Thy Son, Jesus Christ. … Create in me a contrite heart that I may worthily lament my sins and acknowledge my wickedness, and obtain remission and forgiveness through the satisfaction of Jesus Christ. … Grant this, Almighty God, for the merits and through the mediation of our most holy and blessed Saviour, Jesus Christ; to whom, with Thee and the Holy Spirit, three Persons in one God, be all honor and glory, world without end. Amen.529
Friendship, like love, is destroyed by long absences, though it may be increased by short intermissions.530
In 1763, Samuel Johnson wrote:
Sir, I think all Christians, whether Papists or Protestants, agree in the essential articles and that their differences are trivial, and rather political than religious.531
In 1772, Johnson commented:
All denominations of Christians have really little difference in point of doctrine, though they may differ widely in external forms.532
Samuel Johnson’s last words, December 13, 1784, were:
God bless you, my dear!533