Matthew Poole and continuators on John 10:3

3 To him the porter openeth : and the sheep hear his voice; and he calleth his own sheep by name , and leadeth them out .

By the Porter is understood God; or more particularly, (to shew the order of the Holy Trinity in working) the holy Spirit, who openeth the Hearts of men to receive and imbrace Jesus Christ, who is the chief Shepherd;

and the Sheep are able to distinguish his Voice from the Voice of Thieves and Robbers. Probably they had in those Countries particular Words and Phrases, which their S[illegible: 1 letter]epherds having used their Sheep to, understood, and moved according to the direction of them. Some think they had also Names for their Sheep, (as we have for our Dogs and Horses) which they understood; otherwise, it onely signifieth, that particular knowledge which Christ hath of all those that are truly his: as the former P[illegible: 1 letter]rase signified, That judgment of discerning of Spirits, and Doctrines, which was in an eminent degree in the first Ministers of the Gospel▪ and is yet in a measure in Believers; by which tho they cannot perfectly and infallibly judge concerning Truth, and the Will of God, in all things; yet they can in a great measure do it, and are not ordinarily led aside into pernicious and damnable Errours▪ to the ruine of their Souls.

And saith our Saviour, the true Shepherd leadeth the sheep out; that is, into their Pastures and true feeding-places. This is eminently true concerning Christ the chief Shepherd; when he came into the World, God opened to him the Door of his Church; so as tho he was rejected by many, (the Builders and Rulers of the Iewish Church in particular:) yet he was by many received, multitudes followed him; many truly believed on him, and truly heard his Voice, he had a particular knowledge of them, who truly were his Sheep: he knew Nathaniel while he was yet under the Fig-tree. He led them out into their true Pastures, Preaching the Gospel of the Kingdome to them, and shewing them the way of Life and Salvation. It is in its measure true of every inferior Shepherd, that truly deriveth from Christ; God giveth unto such, favour in the eyes of his People. The true Sheep of Christ, hear them, receive, and imbrace the Truth delivered by them. They take a particular charge of them, and they lead them to Christ, and to the imbracing of his Gospel; as by the holy and true Doctrine which they Preach to them, so by their holy Lives and Conversations before them.