What have Christians taught during past plagues and pandemics?

Christians have lived through many major plagues, epidemics, and pandemics over the past two thousand years. Some of the most severe pandemics were the [Plague of Justinian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plague_of_Justinian) and the [Black Death](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Death) , both of which are estimated to have possibly killed up to half of the population of Europe. There were also many smaller localised epidemics of plague, measles, smallpox, and others. What did Christian pastors and ministers teach during these times, to encourage and reassure their congregations? ----- *This is a special open-ended question that would not normally be allowed here, but during this current pandemic we feel it could be helpful. For more, see [this Meta discussion](https://christianity.meta.stackexchange.com/q/6894/6071).* *Lets please restrict this to past plagues, epidemics, and pandemics. Right now every man and his dog has something to say about COVID-19, and while some of it may pass the test of time and be recognised as inspired Godly wisdom, most won't.*