Did _Peter_ know which was _Moses_ and which _Elias_? Then I think, and GOD be praised for it, it is plain from this and other passages of scripture, that we shall know one another when we come to heaven. _Dives_ knew _Lazarus_: “Father _Abraham_, send _Lazarus_:” And we are told, “he saw _Lazarus_ sitting in _Abraham_’s bosom.” _Adam_ knew his wife _Eve_; though cast into a deep sleep when GOD made her out of his rib, yet, by a kind of intuition, he says, “This is bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh.” And it is on this account, that the Apostle, speaking to the _Philippians_, says, “Ye are my joy and crown of rejoicing, in the day of the LORD.” What comfort will this be to a spiritual father! Says one, Here is the man, O LORD JESUS, that brought my soul to taste of thy love; says another, This is the man, that at such a time, and with such words, struck my heart: thou, O LORD, knowest it. Then the spiritual father will rejoice over his children. You that have met and have prayed together, sighed and sympathized together, and told your temptations to one another, shall be for ever with the LORD and with each other. There we shall see _Abraham_, _Isaac_, and _Jacob_ sitting, with all the redeemed company; and we shall know the names of every one mentioned in the book of GOD. O blessed prospect! O blessed time! Who that thinks of this, of seeing the Lamb sitting upon the throne, with all GOD’s people about him, but must desire to go to heaven, and be for ever, for ever with the LORD. And if there is such comfort for believers to know one another in heaven, with what comfort may any of you, that have lost fathers, mothers, or friends, think of them: we are parted for a little while, but we shall see them again. My father died in CHRIST, my mother died in the LORD, my husband, my wife, was a follower of JESUS; I shall see them, though not now; I shall go to them, but they shall not return to me! This may keep you from sorrowing as persons without hope; and keep you from being so cruel, as to wish them to come down to this evil world.
But O what a dreadful consideration is this for damned souls! I believe, that as glorified spirits will know one another, so will damned souls know one another too. And as the company of the blessed increases the happiness of heaven, so the company of the damned will increase their torments. What made _Dives_ to put up that petition? “I have five brethren; send somebody to my father’s house to testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.” One would imagine at first reading, that hell had made _Dives_ charitable, and that though he was ill natured on earth, yet he had acquired some good nature in hell. No, no, there is not a spark of good nature in the place of torment. But _Dives_ knew, if his five brethren came there, they might say, We may thank you, next to an evil heart, for coming hither; you made us drink healths, till we were drunk; you taught us to game, to curse, to swear, &c. He knew very well, that his five brethren being brought to hell by his example, hell would be heated five times hotter to torment his soul. One will cry out, Cursed be the day that ever I was companion with such an one in sin; cursed be the day that ever we hearkened to one another’s advice, and were allured by each others example to sin against GOD.
But did a cloud overshadow _Peter_, _James_, and _John_? were heavenly and divine visits here but short? Then wonder not, ye people of GOD, if ye are upon the mount one hour, and down in the valley of the shadow of death the next. There is nothing in the world more common, after you have been in a good frame, than for a cloud to overshadow you. We generally say, “It is good to be here,” and often make a CHRIST of our graces; and therefore the LORD sends a cloud to overshadow us. But never fear; GOD shall speak to you out of the cloud; GOD will reveal himself to you; this cloud shall soon be gone; ere long we shall be in heaven, and in that glory where no cloud can possibly reach us.