Sentence:  O God,heavenly Father, whose gift it is that the rain doth fall, the earth is fruitfull, beasts increase, and fishes do multiply: behold, we beseech thee, the afflictions of thy people, and grant that the scarcity and <WSD>dearth</WSD> (which we do now most justly suffer for our iniquitie) may through thy goodness be mercifully turned into cheapness and plenty… 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  Dearness; the quality of being rare or costly.