Before an action for the recovery of money is brought against any person, he may go into the court of the county of his residence, or of that in which the person having the cause of action resides, which would have jurisdiction of the action, and offer to confess judgment in favor of such person for a specified sum on such cause of action. Whereupon, if such person, having had such notice that the offer would be made, of its amount and of the time and place of making it, as the court shall deem reasonable, does not attend to accept the confession, or attending, refuses to accept it, and should afterward commence an action upon such cause, and not recover more than the amount so offered to be confessed, he shall pay all the costs of the action; and on the trial thereof, the offer shall not be deemed to be an admission of the cause of action or amount to which the plaintiff is entitled, nor be given in evidence.