The idea that all one must do to be assured of salvation is look back to a prayer and/or confession is deceiving. It matters very little what happened in the past. We ought to ask ourselves, “what is my life showing now?” Based on Ryle’s observations, the Holy Spirit will manifest Himself in a person’s life. God nowhere implies in His word that His children will continue in sin and ungodliness. A good confession is followed by good fruit, as Edwards proves using the design and ornaments of the temple.

From The Religious Affections:

The constant and indissoluble connection that there is between a Christian principle and profession in the true saints, and the fruit of holy practice in their lives, was typified of old in the frame of the golden candlestick in the temple. It is beyond doubt that that golden candlestick, with its seven branches and seven lamps, was a type of the church of Christ. The Holy Ghost Himself has been pleased to put that matter out of doubt, by representing his church by such a golden candlestick, with seven lamps, in the fourth chapter of Zechariah, and representing the seven churches of Asia by seven golden candlesticks, in the first chapter of Revelation. That golden candlestick in the temple was everywhere, throughout its whole frame, made with knops and flowers: Exodus 25:31-40, and 38:17-24. The word translated knop, in the original, signifies apple or pomegranate. There was a knop and a flower, a knop and a flower: wherever there was a flower, there was an apple or pomegranate with it: the flower and the fruit were constantly connected, without fail. The flower contained the principle of the fruit, and a beautiful promising appearance of it; and it never was a deceitful appearance; the principle or show of fruit, had evermore real fruit attending it, or succeeding it. So it is in the church of Christ: there is the principle of fruit in grace in the heart; and there is an amiable profession, signified by the open flowers of the candlestick; and there is answerable fruit, in holy practice, constantly attending this principle and profession. Every branch of the golden candlestick, thus composed of golden apples and flowers, was crowned with a burning, shining lamp on the top of it. For it is by this means that the saints shine as lights in the world, by making a fair and good profession of religion, and having their profession evermore joined with answerable fruit in practice: agreeable to that of our Saviour, Matt. 5:15-16, “Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” A fair and beautiful profession, and golden fruits accompanying one another, are the amiable ornaments of the true church of Christ. Therefore we find that apples and flowers were not only the ornaments of the candlestick in the temple, but of the temple itself, which is a type of the church; which the apostle tells us “is the temple of the living God.” See 1 Kings 6:18: “And the cedar of the house within was carved with knops and open flowers.” The ornaments and crown of the pillars, at the entrance of the temple, were of the same sort: they were lilies and pomegranates, or flowers and fruits mixed together, 1 Kings 7:18-19. So it is with all these that are “as pillars in the temple of God, who shall go no more out,” or never be ejected as intruders; as it is with all true saints: Rev. 3:12, “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out.”