translated "Comforter" (Parakleetos) means "one called alongside,"
that is one called to stand constantly by one's side and who is ever ready
to stand by us and take our part in everything in which his help is
needed. It is a wonderfully tender and expressive name for the Holy One.
Sometimes when we think of _the Holy Spirit_, He seems to be so far away,
but when we think of the Parakleetos, or in plain English our "Stand-byer"
or our "part-taker," how near He is. Up to the time that Jesus made this
promise to the disciples, He Himself had been their Parakleetos. When they
were in any emergency or difficulty they turned to Him. On one occasion,
for example, the disciples were in doubt as to how to pray and they turned
to Jesus and said, "Lord, teach us to pray." And the Lord taught them the
wonderful prayer that has come down through the ages (Luke xi. 1-4). On
another occasion, Peter was sinking in the waves of Galilee and he cried,
"Lord, save me," and immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand and caught
him and saved him (Matt. xiv. 30, 31). In every extremity they turned to
Him. Just so now that Jesus is gone to the Father, we have another Person,
just as Divine as He is, just as wise as He, just as strong as He, just as
loving as He, just as tender as He, just as ready and just as able to
help, who is always right by our side. Yes, better yet, who dwells in our
heart, who will take hold and help if we only trust Him to do it.

If the truth of the Holy Spirit as set forth in the name "Parakleetos"
once gets into our heart and abides there, it will banish all loneliness
forever; for how can we ever be lonely when this best of all Friends is
ever with us? In the last eight years, I have been called upon to endure
what would naturally be a very lonely life. Most of the time I am
separated from wife and children by the calls of duty. For eighteen months
consecutively, I was separated from almost all my family by many thousands
of miles. The loneliness would have been unendurable were it not for the
one all-sufficient Friend, who was always with me. I recall one night
walking up and down the deck of a storm-tossed steamer in the South Seas.
Most of my family were 18,000 miles away; the remaining member of my
family was not with me. The officers were busy on the bridge, and I was
pacing the deck alone, and the thought came to me, "Here you are all
alone." Then another thought came, "I am not alone; by my side as I walk
thi