.....I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him. The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name. Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea. The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone. Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.....Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them. Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation. The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina. Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away. Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased. Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established. The LORD shall reign for ever and ever.                             
                                                                                                                      Exodus 15:1-18

.....in Exodus 15, we do not find a single note about self, its doings, its sayings, its feelings, or its fruits.  It is all about Jehovah from beginning to end.  It begins with, "I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea."  This is a specimen of the entire song.  It is a simple record of the attributes and actings of Jehovah.  In chap. 14 the hearts of the people had, as it were, been pent up, by the excessive pressure of their circumstances; but in chapter 15 the pressure is removed and their hearts find full vent in a sweet song of praise.  Self is forgotten.  Circumstances are lost sight of.  One object, and but one, fills their vision, and that object is the Lord Himself in His character and ways.  They were able to say, "Thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work; I will triumph in the works of thy hands." (Ps. xcii. 4.)  This is true worship.  It is when poor worthless self, with all its belongings, is lost sight of, and Christ alone fills the heart, that we present proper worship.  There is no need for the efforts of a fleshly pietism to awaken in the soul feelings of devotion.  Nor is there any demand whatever for the adventitious appliances of religion, so called, to kindle in the soul the flame of acceptable worship.  Oh! no; let but the heart be occupied with the Person of Christ, and "songs of praise" will be the natural result.  It is impossible for the eye to rest on Him and the spirit not be bowed in holy worship.  If we contemplate the worship of the hosts which surround the throne of God and the Lamb, we shall find that it is ever evoked by the presentation of some special feature of divine excellence or divine acting.  Thus should it be with the Church on earth; and when it is not so, it is because we allow things to intrude upon us which have no place in the regions of unclouded light and unalloyed blessedness.  In all true worship, God Himself is at once the object of worship, the subject of worship, and the power of worship.
     Hence, Exodus 15 is a fine specimen of a song of praise.  It is the language of a redeemed people celebrating the worthy praise of Him who had redeemed them.  "The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God and I will exalt him.  The Lord is a man of war, the Lord is his name,.....thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O Lord, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.....who is like unto thee, Lord, among the gods?  Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?.....Thou, in thy mercy, hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.....The Lord shall reign for ever and ever."  How comprehensive is the range of this song!  It begins with redemption and ends with the glory. It begins with the cross and ends with the kingdom.  It is like a beauteous rainbow, of which one end dips in "the sufferings" and the other in "the glory which should follow."  It is all about Jehovah.  It is an outpouring of soul produced by a view of God and His gracious and glorious actings.
                                                                                                                                C. H. Mackintosh