John Owen: Temptation Unsettles the Soul

John Owen is writing about sanctification. In the following paragraph he masterfully uses the illustration of a tree surviving a storm as an analogy of how God uses temptations and strife to encourage spiritual maturity and sanctification.

Perplexing temptations or strong corruptions may so disturb the soul for a season, that it may not be able to form a right judgement of its progress. A ship at sea may be so tossed by a storm, that the most skilful mariners may be unable to discern whether they make any way, while perhaps, they are carried on with success and speed. In such cases, grace is engaged chiefly in opposition to its enemy, and so its thriving in other respects is not discernible. If it be asked, 'How may we know that grace thrives in opposition to corruptions and temptations?' I say, that as great winds sometimes contribute to the fruit-bearing of trees, so do corruptions and temptations to the fruitfulness of grace. The wind comes with violence on the tree, ruffles its boughs, beats off its buds, shakes its root, and threatens to destroy the whole: but by this means the earth is loosed about it, and the tree gets deeper rooted, which renders it more fruitful, though it bring not forth fruit visibly till a good while after. In the assaults of temptation and corruption the soul is woefully ruffled, its leaves of profession blasted, and its beginnings of fruit-bearing much retarded; but in the mean time it secretly casts out its roots of humility, self-abasement and mourning, in constant labouring of faith and love after that grace whereby holiness really increases, and way is made for future visible fruitfulness.(p. 268-269, The Holy Spirit: His Gifts and Power by John Owen