Confession must be voluntary. It must come as water out of a spring, freely.
The confession of the wicked is extorted, like the confession of a man upon a rack. When a spark of God's wrath flies into their conscience, or they are in fear of death, then they will fall to their confessions. Balaam, when he saw the angels' naked sword, could say, 'I have sinned' (Numbers 22:34).
But true confession drops from the lips as myrrh from the tree or honey from the comb, freely. 'I have sinned against heaven, and before thee' (Luke 15:18): the prodigal charged himself with sin before his father changed him with it.
Taken from the book The Doctrine of Repentance by Thomas Watson 1668
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