was obſerved by ſome of his hearers, that while he continued in the doctrinal part of his ſermon, he ſpoke very correct French, but when he came to his application and when his affections kindled, his fervour made him ſometimes neglect the accuracy of the French conſtruction: but there were godly young men who admoniſhed him of this, which he took in very good part, ſo for preventing miſtakes of that kind, he deſired the young gentlemen, when they preceived him beginning to decline, to give him a ſign, and the ſign was, that they were both to ſtand up upon their feet, and thereafter he was more exact in his expreſſion through his whole ſermon; ſo deſirous was he, not only to deliver good matter, but to recommend it to the neat expreſſion.
There were many times perſons of great quality in his auditory, before whom he was juſt as bold as ever he had been in a Scots village; which moved Mr. Boyd of Trochrig once to aſk him, (after he had preached before the univerſity of Samure with ſuch boldneſs and authority, as if he had been before the meaneſt congregation) how he could be ſo confident among ſtrangers, and perſons of ſuch quality! to which he anſwered, That he was ſo filled with the dread of God, he had no apprehenſion from man at all; and this anſwer, ſaid Mr. Boyd, did not remove my admiration, but rather increaſe it.
There was in his houſe amongſt many others, who tabled with him for good education, a young gentleman of great quality, and ſuitable expectations, and this was the heir of the lord Ochiltry, who was captain of the caſtle of Edinburgh. This young nobleman, after he had gained very much upon Mr. Welch's affections, fell ſick of a grivious ſickneſs, and after he had been long waſted with it, cloſed his eyes, and expired as dying men uſed to do, ſo to the apprehenſion and ſenſe of all ſpectators, he was no more but a carcaſe, and was therefore taken out of his bed, and laid upon a pallet on the floor, that his body might be the more conveniently dreſſed, as dead bodies uſed to be. This was to Mr. Welch a very great grief, and therefore he ſtayed with the young man's dead body full, three hours, lamenting over him with
