Not all the poor in the city slums are of this class. God-fearing men and women have been brought to the depths of poverty by illness or misfortune, often through the dishonest scheming of those who live by preying upon their fellows. Many who are upright and well-meaning become poor through lack of industrial training. Through ignorance they are unfitted to wrestle with the difficulties of life. Drifting into the cities, they are often unable to find employment. Surrounded by the sights and sounds of vice, they are subjected to terrible temptation. Herded and often classed with the vicious and degraded, it is only by a superhuman struggle, a more than finite power, that they can be preserved from sinking to the same depths. Many hold fast their integrity, choosing to suffer rather than to sin. This class especially demand help, sympathy, and encouragement. MH 190.1 If the poor now crowded into the cities could find homes upon the land, they might not only earn a livelihood, but find h…
"He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor."
Both passages address the treatment of the poor. Proverbs 14:31 condemns oppressing the poor and honors those who show mercy. EGW describes the plight of the poor and calls for help, sympathy, and encouragement, particularly for those impoverished through misfortune or dishonesty. The connection lies in the moral obligation to care for the poor.