ole time in spiritual exercises, that some in that place waited well
upon his ministry with great tenderness, but that he was constrained to
leave that place, because of the malice of the wicked.

The special cause of his departure was, a prophane gentleman in the
country (one Scot of Headschaw, whose family is now extinct), because
Mr. Welch had either reproved him, or merely from hatred, Mr. Welch was
most unworthily abused by the unhappy man, and among the rest of the
injuries he did him, this was one:--Mr. Welch kept always two good
horses for his own use, and the wicked gentleman, when he could do no
more, either with his own hand, or by his servants, cut off the rumps of
the two innocent beasts, upon which they both died. Such base usage as
this persuaded him to listen to a call to the ministry at Kirkcudbright,
which was his next post.

But when he was to leave Selkirk, he could not find a man in all the
town to transport his furniture, except only Ewart, who was at that time
a poor young man, but master of two horses, with which he transported
Mr. Welch's goods, and so left him; but as he took his leave, Mr. Welch
gave him his blessing, and a piece of gold for a token, exhorting him to
fear God, and promised he should never want, which promise, providence
made good through the whole course of the man's life, as was observed by
all his neighbours.

At Kirkcudbright he stayed not long; but there he reaped a harvest of
converts, which subsisted long after his departure, and were a part of
Mr. Samuel Rutherford's flock, though not his parish, while he was
minister at Anwoth. Yet when his call to Ayr came to him, the people of
the parish of Kirkcudbright never offered to detain him, so his
transportation to Ayr was the more easy.

While he was at Kirkcudbright, he met with a young man in scarlet and
silver lace (the gentleman's name was Mr. Robert Glendining) new come
home from his travels, he much surprised the young man by telling him,
he behoved to change his garb, and way of life, and betake himself to
the study of the scriptures, which at that time was not his business,
for he should be his successor in the ministry at Kirkcudbright, which
accordingly came to pass sometime thereafter.

Mr. Welch was transported to Ayr in the year 1590, and there he
continued till he was banished, there he had a very hard beginning, but
a very sweet end; for when he came first to the town, the country was so
wicked and the h